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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.

#61

Post by dkrich »

"You're actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you say."

One of my favorite quotes of all time, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. If you are really more than what comes across on paper, you should have things to show that extend beyond what is on paper. Claiming you are smart and can execute will get you nowhere. I'd venture to guess that everybody who applies believes that they have that in spades.

But the larger question I have, and continue to have, is why people continue to view entrepreneurship as an elite club to which you must be allowed entrance. No offense to Y-Combinator or any other startup incubator, as I'm sure the experience is fantastic. I just think anybody approaching this as some kind of bridge that you must cross to achieve success is misguided. Successful startups were born long before incubators and they were built by people who knew how to execute and had the wherewithal to do so. The very fact that you have to plead to make the case that you can execute shows in many ways that you can't. An incubator should be viewed as one avenue to ramp up traction and execution, not a permission slip to do so.

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

#62

Post by waterlesscloud »

tstegart wrote: post #59

Do it PG! Do it! I want to see a slam dunk! I want to see EPIC failure! I want to see if they're all talk or can walk the walk. This is like the reality tv episode of entrepreneurship. Just once, I want to watch and wait with baited breath as the challenge is issued, the gauntlet is thrown down, the problem put out and the solution successfully solved! Don't make it easy, make it tougher than any problem one of your…

A reality show of this nature actually is a pretty good idea.

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

#63

Post by robryan »

saraid216 wrote: post #33
motti_s wrote: post #31

I have an idea. Within 72 hours you have to hack into the Y Combinator servers and mark your application as "invite to interview". Do that and you get an interview :) Disclaimer: if you're not sure what :) means, please google it before proceeding with the above suggestion. Anyway I'm just joking. Your post is a nice way to get noticed. Good luck with your application!

Have you ever tried googling for an emoticon...?

http://insidesearch.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/search-quality-h...

Based on the second item of that list, might soon get some emoticon love on Google search.

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

#64

Post by littlegiantcap »

davemel37 wrote: post #57

I would venture to say the application process worked like clock-work. YC is looking for people to mentor, educate, and smooth out the bumpy road ahead for, to discover modest people, who acknowledge their weaknesses and are willing to humble themselves and learn from everyone around them.

Ouch. We never said, or even meant to imply we were somehow better than the awesome people at Y Combinator, or frankly better than anyone else. All we're trying to do here is show that we're worth a second look and maybe a conversation.

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

#65

Post by Skywing »

Yes, but relating to and understanding the problem that you are trying to solve is the difficult part. You may create a solution to the problem, but any programmer can do that. I always viewed YC as being difficult to get into because you had to do this part prior to applying. If PG does give these guys something to make, then maybe that'd be a good answer to the question on the application that asks what your greatest hack ever was - it'd be turning the tables on PG and getting him to give you something to solve! Clever. :)

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

#67

Post by davemel37 »

_delirium wrote: post #55
endlessvoid94 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> applications (in general) are a backup filtering mechanism for people who haven't figured out a more effective way to get what they want yet. It blows me away how many people don't get this.

The flipside is that there are a surprising number of organizations with lots of money that haven't figured out a better way of distributing it, so applications can still be a good way of getting funds. One of my acquaintances, for example, just got $100k in seed funding (with no equity in return) entirely based on a 15-page application sent to a funding body, having had no previous contact with the funder.

Having painstakingly gone through the process of writing 35 page Grant Proposals for a hospital and getting funding from the government on all three occasions, I can assure you that the application process was just a formality and legal requirement.

The funding came through because the grantor had a relationship with the department heads that received the funds.

Obviously, you need to meet the required criteria, and a perfectly crafted application is a requirement, but all things being equal it boils down to relationships.

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

#68

Post by peterhunt »

dominikb wrote: post #38
coopdog wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Sorry, that is ridiculous. 72 hours is not even enough to analyze a fragment of the initial problems. I'm not even talking about coding yet. Just starting to code some crap is exactly what's wrong with the current market. Anybody can do that. And for most, it won't turn out well. What can you do differently? Invest more time and create something better.

When building the new Facebook photo viewer, we would ship a redesign to a small percentage of users, look at its metrics impact, and ship another redesign 2-3 days later based on the data. Simply being able to execute on something like this for 72 hours, no matter how blindly you do it, is indicative of a worthwhile skill that many people don't have.

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

#69

Post by mirsadm »

tstegart wrote: post #59

Do it PG! Do it! I want to see a slam dunk! I want to see EPIC failure! I want to see if they're all talk or can walk the walk. This is like the reality tv episode of entrepreneurship. Just once, I want to watch and wait with baited breath as the challenge is issued, the gauntlet is thrown down, the problem put out and the solution successfully solved! Don't make it easy, make it tougher than any problem one of your…

As tempting as it sounds I don't think there is any way to release the negative results without looking evil :).

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

#70

Post by dgunn »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #62
tstegart wrote: post #59

Do it PG! Do it! I want to see a slam dunk! I want to see EPIC failure! I want to see if they're all talk or can walk the walk. This is like the reality tv episode of entrepreneurship. Just once, I want to watch and wait with baited breath as the challenge is issued, the gauntlet is thrown down, the problem put out and the solution successfully solved! Don't make it easy, make it tougher than any problem one of your…

A reality show of this nature actually is a pretty good idea.

Techstars created a reality show out of their program and I think it was widely regarded as a pretty bad decision in hindsight...
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