You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds! • Hacker News Board

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#21

Post by portLAN » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 9:42 PM UTC

vlad wrote: post #12

portLAN wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can we apply as single hackers who don't care about which project we take on? Not to be YC specific, but just in general, who would want to invest in someone who doesn't care?

Great question. I'm a hacker, so I'd be useful from day one. Secondly, I've stuck with one idea for about four years, selling the product for 3 and a half years, so I have no problem adding features or maintaining code. Here is what matters to me more than a specific idea: 1) I'd like to have lawyers and accountants from the beginning, versus doing it myself. 2) I'd like to start with an investment from the beginning…

"What I'd like" isn't the same as, "here's how I can make money for you". That's what it boils down to with almost all investors; minus ones who are okay with sinking in money regardless of profit to scratch a personal itch (of course they're probably going to micromanage in that case).

> it is more important to have a good team, than a specific idea or a specific market

Ideas are certainly easier to come by; executing is the hard part. But there's no such thing as a generic "good team". If they don't have a feel for the particular idea then they are not going to execute as well.

If there is a lack in passion there is a lack in results.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#22

Post by vlad » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:04 PM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #19

vlad wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great question. I'm a hacker, so I'd be useful from day one. Secondly, I've stuck with one idea for about four years, selling the product for 3 and a half years, so I have no problem adding features or maintaining code. Here is what matters to me more than a specific idea: 1) I'd like to have lawyers and accountants from the beginning, versus doing it myself. 2) I'd like to start with an investment from the beginning…

"I should do something for people my age while I can still relate. You can't do something like that without an investment, since you have to be able to support servers costing hundreds of dollars and not annoy users with ads until you can figure out the best way to make it work." You can do something for people your age, see if they relate, and then take investment when you need to scale. Apparently, it's not hard to…

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams."

Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it.

1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software that makes people happy enough to pay money for it. I'm just creating a free version and getting it up to distributors to see if it can make even more people happy than I can imagine.

2) Finding cofounders on News.YC for a web-based app the team agrees on.

3) Applying to YCombinator.

4) Working as long as it takes to make a lot of users happy.

PG, Max Levchin, and other investors favor teams who are dedicated and flexible versus one specific idea.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#23

Post by nostrademons » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:15 PM UTC

vlad wrote: post #22

nostrademons wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I should do something for people my age while I can still relate. You can't do something like that without an investment, since you have to be able to support servers costing hundreds of dollars and not annoy users with ads until you can figure out the best way to make it work." You can do something for people your age, see if they relate, and then take investment when you need to scale. Apparently, it's not hard to…

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams." Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it. 1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software…

I liked the previous (~4-5 minutes in) version of your comment better. ;-)

Anyway, I also think you're right in doing all of the above. And it looks like you'll find your cofounders, judging from other responses to your comment. Good luck with that.

I'm just saying that even if the investors (including YC) say no, you can still build something, see if people want it, and then get investment. You don't really need investors to start something, nowadays, and when you do need them they'll usually be there.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#24

Post by vlad » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:27 PM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #23

vlad wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams." Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it. 1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software…

I liked the previous (~4-5 minutes in) version of your comment better. ;-) Anyway, I also think you're right in doing all of the above. And it looks like you'll find your cofounders, judging from other responses to your comment. Good luck with that. I'm just saying that even if the investors (including YC) say no, you can still build something, see if people want it, and then get investment. You don't really need inv…

"You don't really need investors to start something, nowadays, and when you do need them they'll usually be there."

Thanks, but like I said in my post, I would rather get an exciting team together, get the legal and accounting stuff out of the way, and build a trusted relationship with an investor, and put to use what I've learned over the past 4 years. And none of those people work for free.

If it's possible to take care of all that stuff right away, it makes life very easy.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#25

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:27 PM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #23

vlad wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams." Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it. 1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software…

I liked the previous (~4-5 minutes in) version of your comment better. ;-) Anyway, I also think you're right in doing all of the above. And it looks like you'll find your cofounders, judging from other responses to your comment. Good luck with that. I'm just saying that even if the investors (including YC) say no, you can still build something, see if people want it, and then get investment. You don't really need inv…

[deleted]

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#26

Post by vlad » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:29 PM UTC

portLAN wrote: post #21

vlad wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great question. I'm a hacker, so I'd be useful from day one. Secondly, I've stuck with one idea for about four years, selling the product for 3 and a half years, so I have no problem adding features or maintaining code. Here is what matters to me more than a specific idea: 1) I'd like to have lawyers and accountants from the beginning, versus doing it myself. 2) I'd like to start with an investment from the beginning…

"What I'd like" isn't the same as, "here's how I can make money for you". That's what it boils down to with almost all investors; minus ones who are okay with sinking in money regardless of profit to scratch a personal itch (of course they're probably going to micromanage in that case). > it is more important to have a good team, than a specific idea or a specific market Ideas are certainly easier to come by; executi…

I'm sorry you've experienced lack of passion in the past and want to share it, but I can't help you here. I have no idea what that must be like. I'm looking to take my 4-year-old lone adventure with one product, to a great team effort on something even bigger, always forging ahead without waiting for a perfect opportunity.

No matter how many times you post, the team means more than an idea. Ideas can be changed a million times once you're incorporated, invested, have a prototype, and user feedback. PG, Max Levchin, and others prefer a team versus an idea.

Again, thanks for sharing your experience.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#27

Post by portLAN » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 10:45 PM UTC

vlad wrote: post #22

nostrademons wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I should do something for people my age while I can still relate. You can't do something like that without an investment, since you have to be able to support servers costing hundreds of dollars and not annoy users with ads until you can figure out the best way to make it work." You can do something for people your age, see if they relate, and then take investment when you need to scale. Apparently, it's not hard to…

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams." Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it. 1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software…

I agree with nostrademons. Make YC a sideline, not a destination or starting point. There's great power in taking charge for yourself.

If you don't feel compelled, it's because your goals aren't inspiring you. You need bigger goals. Possibly getting accepted to possibly work with unknown people on an unknown web app is not interesting enough to capture your imagination.

You have to think of something you really want, something that grabs you, especially if you don't know if you could do it or if it's even possible at all.

As for 5), have you heard of Pollground?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Combinator

That said, some great ideas seemed stupid to "experts" at the time; just trust your own gut feeling, not anyone else's. If you don't have a gut feeling, then you probably don't understand what people want in that area and should switch to another one (or steep yourself in the original a lot more).

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#28

Post by asdflkj » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 11:01 PM UTC

portLAN wrote: post #20

pg wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We work hard enough evaluating applications that we can probably claim our choices are more than whims.

All personal evaluations are subject to whims. An investor does or doesn't like the idea; does or doesn't like the people. Cisco was turned down by 70 or 80 VCs. Nobody has a crystal ball, and at the end of the day, you guess; the dealmaker or breaker is frequently some arbitrary factor.

Are you intentionally using the phrase "subject to" to obscure your logic? It could mean "likely to be affected by", or it could mean "dependent on". The meaning changes completely.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#29

Post by vlad » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 11:06 PM UTC

portLAN wrote: post #27

vlad wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" Apparently, it's not hard to get investors if you're so snowed under with traffic that your servers are busting at the seams." Yes, I know the hypothetical. However, I'm talking about reality. If YCombinator is an option, I'm going to take it. 1) I'm leaving my desktop app available so my current customers, 93% of whom of 153 survey respondents say they love it, can access it. I already know I can deliver software…

I agree with nostrademons. Make YC a sideline, not a destination or starting point. There's great power in taking charge for yourself. If you don't feel compelled, it's because your goals aren't inspiring you. You need bigger goals. Possibly getting accepted to possibly work with unknown people on an unknown web app is not interesting enough to capture your imagination. You have to think of something you really want,…

Respectfully, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Re: You have a 1 in 20 chance of being chosen by YC. Pretty good odds!

#30

Post by rokhayakebe » Tue, Aug 28, 2007, 11:08 PM UTC

vlad wrote: post #2

Thanks for your advice; I just submitted 20 applications. :) On a serious note, can one apply as a single hacker who doesn't care about which project he takes on?

Does anyone know if you get some feedback when you apply early?