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Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

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Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#41

Post by Quarrelsome »

gtbcb wrote: post #26
thisisit wrote: post #5

I have been reading YC lists for so many years. And this list has set a record for number of facepalms. Companies like Papa are stuff of nightmares. While others like AnchorUSD, SparkSwap etc seem like an attempt to ride a wave which was been gone for long.

I think Papa solves a legit need. By the time we (ie millennials) are old, we'll be so damn connected, hopefully loneliness will be low. But between now and 30 years from now, there are millions of seniors suffering from loneliness, and I think Papa could help with the problem. I've definitely thought about this exact idea before.

How the hell do you "sell" that to young people? Its never going to be organic or approaching the sort of scale that startups need to make their efforts "worthwhile". It seems very much like a slow-burn project which is often anathema for the startup scene.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#42

Post by lmm »

beaconstudios wrote: post #39
gtbcb wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Papa solves a legit need. By the time we (ie millennials) are old, we'll be so damn connected, hopefully loneliness will be low. But between now and 30 years from now, there are millions of seniors suffering from loneliness, and I think Papa could help with the problem. I've definitely thought about this exact idea before.

it's attempting to use technology to solve a social problem - that we don't value family or community any more. The root problem is that people just shove their parents in a home as soon as they get old, and don't bother to visit them.

Using technology to solve a social problem is usually cheaper and more effective than other ways of trying to solve it.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#43

Post by beaconstudios »

lmm wrote: post #42
beaconstudios wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's attempting to use technology to solve a social problem - that we don't value family or community any more. The root problem is that people just shove their parents in a home as soon as they get old, and don't bother to visit them.

Using technology to solve a social problem is usually cheaper and more effective than other ways of trying to solve it.

cheaper? yes. easier to approach? yes. More effective? hell no. Technical solutions to social problems are papering over cracks in our society at best. They trick us into thinking the problem is "solved" where we've just hidden the problem from view. Do you think you can really solve the loneliness problem for seniors by setting up a skype chat with a complete- or near-stranger? There's no depth to that relationship, no intimacy or realness, it's just more superficial social interaction. People need more than just a social check-in with random college students to feel fulfilled.

volunteering to visit older people is already a thing. Yet loneliness in seniors continues to be a problem. Perhaps the direction we're taking as a society is wholly wrong? It's hardly the only social symptom.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#44

Post by chatmasta »

There are maybe, maybe 10 promising companies in the mix these past two days. YC has really lost its prestige by diluting its batches so much, IMO. There are better pathways to funding nowadays for promising startups that don’t require surrendering 7% equity.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#45

Post by quakenul »

chatmasta wrote: post #44

There are maybe, maybe 10 promising companies in the mix these past two days. YC has really lost its prestige by diluting its batches so much, IMO. There are better pathways to funding nowadays for promising startups that don’t require surrendering 7% equity.

Be specific

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#46

Post by roadbeats »

statictype wrote: post #3

In depth analysis here: https://twitter.com/pinboard/status/1031952446795522048

I wouldn't call that tweetstorm "deep analysis". It's just pinboard arguing about other people's startups, meanwhile its own search doesn't function properly.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#47

Post by marmadukester39 »

chatmasta wrote: post #44

There are maybe, maybe 10 promising companies in the mix these past two days. YC has really lost its prestige by diluting its batches so much, IMO. There are better pathways to funding nowadays for promising startups that don’t require surrendering 7% equity.

I'm curious as to your opinion on the better ways right now.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#48

Post by statictype »

roadbeats wrote: post #46
statictype wrote: post #3

In depth analysis here: https://twitter.com/pinboard/status/1031952446795522048

I wouldn't call that tweetstorm "deep analysis". It's just pinboard arguing about other people's startups, meanwhile its own search doesn't function properly.

More like Pinboard making fun of YC. Obviously, I didn't really mean it was deep analysis.

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#49

Post by Amygaz »

eaenki wrote: post #37

I can't help but wonder what would happen if YC and all its influence was to be focused on only a bunch of startups per year doing truly far fetched things - namely space, biotech, finance, robotics, computing and VR. Is focusing on social networks for grandkids, instant food, the 50th sticker app and countless B2B products truly worth it when it could be directed towards the former? Who could possibly, genuinely wan…

I work at a top tier University and I have been wondering the same thing, about some of the government funded research going on in Academia...

Re: Startups that launched at Y Combinator’s S18 Demo Day 2

#50

Post by bsaul »

vevoe wrote: post #16
muhneesh wrote: post #8

Anima seems really cool and ambitious; modernizing design code seems like an obvious necessity and next step to modernize workflows in the front-end. My prediction would be that, if successful, this would empower designers and commoditize front end developers (or optimistically, let them focus on more complex logic) Good luck to the team.

Anima does seem really great. As a front-end dev seeing this stuff makes me happy and slightly anxious for the future. On one hand, styling basic marketing sites manually is boring and I would happily use this if it fits easily into my work flow. On the other, I hope it doesn't start making complex React apps soon or I'm in trouble :)

Not sure if you're just starting your career or not, but every time i meet a freshly graduated junior that tell me he's a "x developer" where X is a technology, i make a point telling him "no you're not, you're a developper, period. Don't think of yourself as being stuck to a given tech or you'll be in trouble pretty soon".
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