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Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

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Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#2
Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :)

Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#3
post #2

Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :) Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Solving the problem of interplanetary travel would indeed be a tough one. Especially in 72 hours. :)

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#4
I don't think that YC is trying to identify teams that can create the maximum amount of value in 72 hours. They're looking for teams that will create the maximum amount of value over thousands of hours (or more).

It's not at all clear that the former correlates with the latter.

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#5
post #2

Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :) Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Thanks, we hope they'll at least give us something. Even if it is to send an iphone to Mars :)

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#6
post #3
post #2

Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :) Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Solving the problem of interplanetary travel would indeed be a tough one. Especially in 72 hours. :)

Heh, not for Levar Burto....whoa, did Levar Burton write this?

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#7
post #2

Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :) Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Their offer is specifically for problems that YC itself faces.

Give us a problem, a painpoint, anything that annoys you in day to day life, and we’ll hack it in 72 hours.

Sending a phone to Mars and back isn't one of them, and is missing the entire spirit of the problem.

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#9
I love the creativity, though I have to admit, I'm a little confused.

YC already does a great job of releasing great startup ideas (see links below in the off chance that you haven't read them already). And it seems like everyone I met who got in was accepted because of the awesome things they created. So if you're short on ideas, read the lists, and then get to work and have something to show for it by application time! Whether or not you get in will probably matter less and less once you're cranking away at a company you're really into.

http://paulgraham.com/ambitious.html

http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html

Re: Dear Y Combinator, we bet you we can solve a problem of yours in 72 hours.

#10
post #2

Ambitious, risky, and likely to be ignored by YC, but I like the spirit :) Would be fun to see them play this game with you though (I'm quite curious to see how you guys work things out if they challenge you to send an iPhone to Mars and back, for one example of many, many problems they could ask you to solve that you couldn't really take care of in 72 hours).

Cocky, rash, and likely to be burned by YC is more likely the thing here.

If you want YC to pay attention to what you're doing, why confront it and ask for a challenge? If you're starting your own company why are you asking for a challenge at all? As an entrepreneur it is your job to challenge yourselves and the status quo.

This is like going to an NFL referee and asking them for a football game. Why not start the football game and make the referees take notice at how great you are? Being hungry gives you the ambition to improve. Being good is remembering and executing on what you've learned.

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