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Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

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41–50 of 55 posts

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#41

pg, I'm just curious if re-submitting hurts anyone? I feel like I have re-submitted quite a few times (no major changes) mainly just cutting out wordiness or marketing speak, but is there any number of times that it turns out to be a red flag for you guys? Also my video is VERY raw, I left it unedited as suggested, but never realized how much head movement I had in the beginning of the video until after watching it a…

I actually emailed info@ycombinator.com about something like this and Kirsty responded "We can see that applications have been resubmitted so don't worry too much!"

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#42
post #40

pg, I'm just curious if re-submitting hurts anyone? I feel like I have re-submitted quite a few times (no major changes) mainly just cutting out wordiness or marketing speak, but is there any number of times that it turns out to be a red flag for you guys? Also my video is VERY raw, I left it unedited as suggested, but never realized how much head movement I had in the beginning of the video until after watching it a…

Re-applying per se is definitely not a red flag. We often accept people on the nth try. But if you're reapplying with substantially the same thing each time, you're effectively just testing our consistency. It would be a better bet to change more than wording. Video quality can be at least this raw: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057

Thanks for the response! I actually did some research and used this video as a model for my application! As far as the re-applying I actually meant re-submitting* (I.e. I have never applied to YC before with any company, however I have re-submitted my app for this session probably 5 or 6 times) I'm guessing the comment below addresses that particular question?

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#43
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Re-applying per se is definitely not a red flag. We often accept people on the nth try. But if you're reapplying with substantially the same thing each time, you're effectively just testing our consistency. It would be a better bet to change more than wording. Video quality can be at least this raw: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057

Thanks for the response! I actually did some research and used this video as a model for my application! As far as the re-applying I actually meant re-submitting* (I.e. I have never applied to YC before with any company, however I have re-submitted my app for this session probably 5 or 6 times) I'm guessing the comment below addresses that particular question?

Resubmitting is fine. Do that as much as you want.

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#44
post #36

Can you give any examples of late applications that eventually become YC-funded companies? Just curious.

I (YC S09) applied about 20mins before the deadline I think. I didn't tell my co-founders. One was living in Malaysia at the time. They had persuaded me to wait till we were 'ready'. We are a UK based company. It was about 2/3am in the morning and I was lying awake regretting that. I felt it didn't fit with the fundamentals of YC mentality - 'screw it just do it'. I was overcome with a great sense of obligation, not…

Is this video online somewhere? I'd love to see it!

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#45
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've accidentally down-voted only when using my iPad to browse HN. That and accidental Facebook "likes" can be a terrible ordeal. How would you fix that though?

Five second "oh crap" window?

Worst part about Facebook is that the person usually gets an email notification...

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#46

Can you give any examples of late applications that eventually become YC-funded companies? Just curious.

TapZilla (S2010) applied the day of the deadline, we only knew of the application about a week or so before the deadline when Harj visited Seattle. After that, we never looked back.

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#47

Can you give any examples of late applications that eventually become YC-funded companies? Just curious.

We (Auctomatic W07) applied on a whim back in November 2006. We were in London, had no idea how YC would react to a foreign team, and worse, neither of us could hack back then. I remember discussing with Harj just that week that we really should move to the Valley, but it wasn't really obvious how we should. Harj spent about 10 minutes drafting an application and I spent 30 mins on the train ride home that evening editing it. We had zero expectation that anything would come from it.

We got a call from Jessica that we were admitted for an interview a few days later, and booked a flight for Boston. We were there for less than 24 hours, and I remember Harjeet taking the acceptance call from PG as we were walking through airport security, with the TSA yelling at him "put down your phone! Put down your phone now!". In our excitement, we hadn't arranged a place to stay, or bought a US plug adapter for our laptop for the demo. We woke up extra early that morning to get to Cambridge to buy one, and were early to the interview. (I remember reading that being early was bad, so we did our best to lurk around/stay out of sight til it was our turn).

I distinctly remember the euphoria of being accepted. London back then was a horrible place to run a startup and I ended up writing about the move for the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6355289.stm (which ended up stirring a lot of debate back in the UK and eventually led to the creation of things like SeedCamp).

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#48

Can you give any examples of late applications that eventually become YC-funded companies? Just curious.

We (280 North) submitted the app on the last day after deciding to apply a week or two before, I believe. Then we worked on our demo (the first prototype of what became 280 Slides) up to the day of the interview.

Which was mainly because we didn't know much about Y Combinator before applying, one of our friends suggested we apply.

I think that first demo was written entirely in October 2007, but I can't seem to find our old subversion repository anywhere.

Re: Advice for YC Applicants: Better Last-Minute than Late

#50

How important is the video? I have a crappy laptop webcam, no video skills, and a lousy connection.

It's important (we rarely accept applications without them) but the things you're worried about aren't what matter.

This level of quality is enough: http://scotchi.posterous.com/private/wIYDQvTIRI

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