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If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

ycombinator.com

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Re: If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

#21

Post by pg »

e1ven wrote: post #9
pg wrote: post #2

Also, if anyone has any questions about applying that aren't answered on our site, feel free to ask them here.

Thanks for posting this again, it's a good reminder. I'm not applying, but I'd love any insight into how the process of reviewing applications has changed in the last few cycles. 1) I know you have Harj on the west-coast, and Alexis on the East coast.. Has that made a difference in the way you review applications? I know in the past, you've said that Harj was acting more as a back-end catchall, than a front-end filte…

The biggest change is in the volume of applications. We've dealt with it by getting more partners, and relying more on alumni reviewers.

BTW, Harj acts as a catch-all only for the late applications. He reads on-time applications just like the rest of us.

I don't know yet what effect the Ronco/Yuri announcement will have. It probably won't change how we rank applications.

All the other new YC-like organizations don't currently affect what we do at all, that I can think of. A while ago we complained because some of them were giving people exploding termsheets that expired before the recipients had a chance to come to their YC interview, but that practice seems to have stopped. Now everyone seems to coexist peacefully.

Re: If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

#23

Post by bloodcarter »

pg wrote: post #15
bloodcarter wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have only one question: how to get an invitation to the interview if you are single founder (like Dropbox)? Looks like "single founder problem" is a flaw in YC's business model, because your biggest hits (Dropbox, Greplin) all came from initially single founders. Well, I know that the odds aren't good for single founders...But the problem here in Russia (where I'am from) is that it's virtually impossible to find an…

Actually Greplin had 2 founders initially. And though Drew was a single founder when he applied, he had found a cofounder by the time the YC cycle started. The trouble with the plan of finding a cofounder when you get to the Bay Area is that you'll then have a cofounder you've only just met. Empirically that doesn't work well. Cofounders should have known one another for a while. You must have friends of friends who'…

Actually I had 2 co-founders. The trouble was that we eventually run out of money and they quit. I stayed. But I was forced to start a construction company in order to make some money and I grew it from $0 to 500k in sales. But damn it! I'm a programmer! I want to write a software. I really think that if you're seeking for exceptional people than you should give a chance for exceptional single founders too under some conditions, of course.

Re: If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

#25

Post by pg »

bloodcarter wrote: post #23
pg wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually Greplin had 2 founders initially. And though Drew was a single founder when he applied, he had found a cofounder by the time the YC cycle started. The trouble with the plan of finding a cofounder when you get to the Bay Area is that you'll then have a cofounder you've only just met. Empirically that doesn't work well. Cofounders should have known one another for a while. You must have friends of friends who'…

Actually I had 2 co-founders. The trouble was that we eventually run out of money and they quit. I stayed. But I was forced to start a construction company in order to make some money and I grew it from $0 to 500k in sales. But damn it! I'm a programmer! I want to write a software. I really think that if you're seeking for exceptional people than you should give a chance for exceptional single founders too under some…

We do accept exceptional single founders. We've funded several of them. If you're so determined that you started a successful construction company, you could be one.

Re: If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

#29

Post by pg »

Wolf_Larsen wrote: post #22

If you were interested in funding a single applicant, but only if they had a co-founder, would you reach out and tell them that or would you just toss the application in the reject pile?

We wouldn't want someone to get a cofounder just for our sake. We want them to want to themselves. And if they wanted to and could, they already would have. So there wouldn't be any point in telling anyone to go get one.

When we fund single founders, we usually suggest they try to find cofounders if they can. But we can't force them to, and not all do.

Re: If you're applying this cycle: How to Apply to Y Combinator

#30

Post by dclaysmith »

pg wrote: post #2

Also, if anyone has any questions about applying that aren't answered on our site, feel free to ask them here.

I'm a single founder with an idea and a very early mvp with no traction but an idea on how it could be positioned/modified to be an interesting startup in a pretty hot area. If it moved forward (through YC or elsewhere) i have a team that i could put together that i think could then really move it forward.

Have you ever said 'we like you, and we think the idea has potential... put the team together and we'll back ya'?

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