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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.

#11

Post by proexploit »

harryh wrote: post #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.

I think you're correct a long-term push is different from a 72 hour scramble but they're only looking to "win" an interview, not a place in a starting class. I think it's reasonable a team could be unsuccessful at filling out an application (which previously required an idea) but still be extremely strong candidates. I hope YC accepts, they don't stand to lose anything (save time) and there's no obligation to accept similar copycat offers in the future. They might also get a problem solved.

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

#12

Post by coopdog »

harryh wrote: post #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.

Getting a prototype out in 72 hours is a pretty good start, from there you can validate whether the approach is good, and if it is go into greater resolution about specific parts of the pain point and solve those too in the next iterations

And if the basic business premise is just plain wrong you've you've only lost a few days of dev time rather than months

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

#15

Post by GuiA »

vecter wrote: post #7
GuiA wrote: 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.

I don't know about you, but for me not being able to explore space by myself is a daily painpoint ;)

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

#18

Post by littlegiantcap »

zeppelin_7 wrote: post #13
ig1 wrote: post #8

You'd be better off building something awesome in 72 hours and using that to show your awesomeness.

True that, build something amazing in 72 hours. You are not just idea implementation and realization machines.

We'd be in for that too. We have tons of ideas waiting on deck so to speak.
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