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Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

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Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#381

Post by mettamage »

Alright, yolo, I just did it. I did it because of these reasons:

> (1) "probably not good enough / won't get in" - you'd be surprised at how many people feel that way, whether because of impostor syndrome, lack of credentials, whatever—and often they turn out to be among the best founders. So this a terrible reason not to apply!

I have nothing going on at the moment. I am starting to apply to new jobs (have an interview with Google coming up). But I'm open to do the entrepreneurship thing. I always wanted to do it for years, strongly (I created my study program in such a way that it'd help if I'd ever do entrepreneurship). Nowadays it's not strong, I'm simply open to it.

> (2) "too early" - there's no such thing. YC looks for good potential founders—meaning anyone who can learn what they teach—and nothing else. You're already yourself, which is all you need.

Well, I don't have a project started. I have nothing. I did build stuff in the past and I do have a bunch of ideas, which I showed in my application. So let's see if there is no such thing indeed ;-)

> Some of YC's big successes start off as last-minute applications on a whim

Basically this.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#382

Post by max_ »

nubela wrote: post #251

I'll play devil's advocate. I have applied to YC for at least 8 times in my 20s? They rejected me everytime. Not even an interview. I now run a $XM SaaS (scale-up, not startup) growing at Y00%/annum. 100% bootstrapped with a healthy profit margin. Thanks YC. The only thing I'd say that YC is good for is their network of existing startups. Then again, startups aren't the best customers IMO given that they die too much…

Do you mind listening some of these "better VCs"?

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#383

Post by chaostheory »

vertis wrote: post #319
chaostheory wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a side project that was meant to be an “IMDB of everything”. For my initial focus, I targeted YC, its companies and members. This involved looking at a lot of LinkedIn profiles and recording their alma mater because I wanted to give credit to organizations as well and not just individuals. That’s how I came to that conclusion. The result surprised me as well but it also makes sense. Investors would be more eage…

Assuming it's true/accurate it seems like the kind of research you should share (for free or otherwise) with YC, because it seems like the kind of bias that they would be interested in correcting for. Not just from an equality perspective, but also that good ideas and founders can come from anywhere. Top Schools are going to produce one type of founder and idea. People that have walked different paths, another.

I’ll see if I can scrounge up the data. For some years, I had the entire batch covered, but most had holes since not everyone had a LinkedIn account. Unfortunately, the more recent the years the less the data.

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with what YC is doing. Startups are hard enough as is, and they found a formula that works consistently.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#385

Post by arbuge »

ankit219 wrote: post #315

I find these kind of messages distasteful. When people are focused on building, they need feedback from the market. That rejection/feedback helps, but any other kind of rejection - especially a VC or investor rejection - hurts. You could argue that founders should be used to rejection, still this is a needless rejection - without any specific feedback and from a group not their TG - not something people should spend…

If rejection hurts you so much I think your life as an entrepreneur will be tough.

The right mindset would I think be to show them that they were wrong if they reject you.

Ultimately fundraising is selling. And in sales, your goal should, funnily enough, be to get as many rejections as possible. To eat "no" for breakfast, as it were.

Easier said than done, I know.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#386

Post by Eridrus »

_akhe wrote: post #355
itsoktocry wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This inclination to "raise funds" is so foreign to me. VCs may tell you all the magic they can do for you, but at the end of the day you're trading ownership in your company for money (that you can't get elsewhere). You are running a profitable business, why play that game?

My partner wants nothing to do with a VC or even a loan - basically because what you're saying here. The other side to it, as rfrey said, is it would enable a hyper growth mode and let us make moves earlier. But stable growth mode is working fine, and overall there's not a huge reason to take out a loan or raise money, it doesn't feel like we're racing against a clock on some trend or any other reason to rush things.

It's important to be aligned with your partners before you start because people rarely change what they want.

Many people are happy running a small business without much pressure.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#387

Post by vertis »

chaostheory wrote: post #383
vertis wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming it's true/accurate it seems like the kind of research you should share (for free or otherwise) with YC, because it seems like the kind of bias that they would be interested in correcting for. Not just from an equality perspective, but also that good ideas and founders can come from anywhere. Top Schools are going to produce one type of founder and idea. People that have walked different paths, another.

I’ll see if I can scrounge up the data. For some years, I had the entire batch covered, but most had holes since not everyone had a LinkedIn account. Unfortunately, the more recent the years the less the data. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with what YC is doing. Startups are hard enough as is, and they found a formula that works consistently.

Dang going around saying, "no no apply anyway" says to me that even if it is in that state, that's not what they want.

As a unknown university dropout (2001) I wouldn't feel intimidated to apply, and may well go after the next batch (have just found a cofounder). I have to trust that they'll evaluate me on merits rather than prestige.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#388

Post by spxneo »

dang wrote: post #5
spxneo wrote: post #4

you need to graduate from the "right school/alumni" and i would discourage anybody else from wasting their time

That's definitely not true (I wouldn't be here if it were), and it's mistaken assumptions like this that I'm hoping my post can nudge some people out of. If you noticed any of these phrases in what I wrote: "lack of credentials", "needn't look impressive", "doesn't look like", "nothing else", "out of nowhere", "you're already yourself"...that's why I put all those in there. Edit: oh and "impostor syndrome" of course.

you are an outlier and the stuff you wrote is marketing fluff

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#389

Post by spxneo »

tptacek wrote: post #18
spxneo wrote: post #4

you need to graduate from the "right school/alumni" and i would discourage anybody else from wasting their time

No right school/alumni people at Fly.io (W20). I don't even got no learnin'.

great. now lets ask the other 97% in YC what school they dropped out/graduated from.

Re: Tell HN: Ever think of applying to YC? Do it this weekend for S24

#390

Post by tptacek »

spxneo wrote: post #389
tptacek wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No right school/alumni people at Fly.io (W20). I don't even got no learnin'.

great. now lets ask the other 97% in YC what school they dropped out/graduated from.

Your theory here is that YC just has a weird soft spot for the University of Oklahoma?

It's a program you apply to get into. That's what strivers do: apply to get into things. Of course there are lots of college strivers there.

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