Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 44 posts

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#3

Post by answerly »

I've never heard of a negative YC experience either. I'd guess I've met at least one founder from roughly 40% of all YC startups. This includes some companies that have failed or been absorbed into other YC startups.

YC was/is certainly an amazing experience for us.

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#5

Post by tptacek »

facebookChina wrote: post #2

I guess there are quite a few negative experiences. Esp those that were rejected by Y Combinator. I think Y Combinator is over-rated- atleast now (I am attracting downvotes-Go ahead) Their startups havent had really big exits, so far.Once they do,things might change.

If anything, the valuation of a YC session has to have risen over the past couple years, because the alumni network is so huge. Meanwhile, the YC terms don't appear to have gotten less favorable. This point pretty much has to be the opposite of true.

(NB: and I'm a YC skeptic).

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#6

Post by singer »

facebookChina wrote: post #2

I guess there are quite a few negative experiences. Esp those that were rejected by Y Combinator. I think Y Combinator is over-rated- atleast now (I am attracting downvotes-Go ahead) Their startups havent had really big exits, so far.Once they do,things might change.

Startups are what the founders make of them. YC is just a stepping stone.

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#7

Post by tptacek »

answerly wrote: post #3

I've never heard of a negative YC experience either. I'd guess I've met at least one founder from roughly 40% of all YC startups. This includes some companies that have failed or been absorbed into other YC startups. YC was/is certainly an amazing experience for us.

I can't track it down right now, but there were allusions made on HN awhile ago about at least one person who wasn't thrilled with the program. I'm pretty sure there aren't no bad experiences.

That said, I've gotten to talk to a lot of people who have done YC now, and everyone I've talked to --- against pointed questions from me! --- has been thrilled with it.

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#8

Post by wccrawford »

facebookChina wrote: post #2

I guess there are quite a few negative experiences. Esp those that were rejected by Y Combinator. I think Y Combinator is over-rated- atleast now (I am attracting downvotes-Go ahead) Their startups havent had really big exits, so far.Once they do,things might change.

I don't think you can count 'rejected by YC' as a 'negative experience'. It's pretty much the definition of 'non-experience'. It's like saying that the department store experience was bad because they wouldn't sell you a lawnmower at half price when you asked them to.

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#9

Post by mikeryan »

facebookChina wrote: post #2

I guess there are quite a few negative experiences. Esp those that were rejected by Y Combinator. I think Y Combinator is over-rated- atleast now (I am attracting downvotes-Go ahead) Their startups havent had really big exits, so far.Once they do,things might change.

I don't think YCs goal is really the big exit on their companies, but helping more companies get to the next stage of VC and to this end they seem to be quite successful.

Re: Any bad experiences with Y combinator?

#10

Post by jacquesm »

facebookChina wrote: post #2

I guess there are quite a few negative experiences. Esp those that were rejected by Y Combinator. I think Y Combinator is over-rated- atleast now (I am attracting downvotes-Go ahead) Their startups havent had really big exits, so far.Once they do,things might change.

If you got rejected you never were in a position to make any negative experience claims because you have no experience.
Post reply on HN