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Applying to YC

blog.samaltman.com

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Re: Applying to YC

#41

Post by ajiang »

rmena123 wrote: post #25

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't YC for the Ivy League class type? The "I dropped out cause I am smart" type? The "I wrote a book on _____" type? "I worked at Google or Facebook" type? What about the regular type that doesn't have much to show, but wants to do great things? Basically, I feel like the YC application is a pissing match of who can piss the farthest shown on paper not outside. haha :) I have realized…

Like many others that have commented, all of our founders graduated from non-Ivys, have not worked at Google or Facebook, and have definitely not written anything you'd pay for.

YC is not for regular people that just want to do great things, but for those that are actually working hard to do them. Traction is important, showing that you have the ability to produce great results is equally important. However, in the absence of traction or an actual product, graduating from an Ivy with a challenging major, writing a book, working at Google / Facebook are suitable proxies, as they are in themselves challenging achievements that not many can claim.

Re: Applying to YC

#42

Post by sama »

rmena123 wrote: post #36
sama wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, definitely not. we look for something impressive you've done or built, but that's much more important than where you went to school.

I agree somewhat, I guess its just the impression many have.

if people have that impression, i think they looking for an excuse and not looking at data.

Re: Applying to YC

#43

Post by amirmc »

tlb wrote: post #31
rdlecler1 wrote: post #18

I noticed that the application asks for age of the founders. How does this factor into the equation?

We ask founders what impressive things they've done: older founders have had more time to do things. I roughly take the quotient (amount of impressive achievements) / (age - 15).

Is it a negative signal if you're older but still only find one or two things you feel are 'impressive'? One of the things I noticed is that older founders I've met wouldn't bother with YC because it's for 'young folks'.

Re: Applying to YC

#44

Post by Qworg »

amirmc wrote: post #26
rmena123 wrote: post #25

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't YC for the Ivy League class type? The "I dropped out cause I am smart" type? The "I wrote a book on _____" type? "I worked at Google or Facebook" type? What about the regular type that doesn't have much to show, but wants to do great things? Basically, I feel like the YC application is a pissing match of who can piss the farthest shown on paper not outside. haha :) I have realized…

What gives you this impression? From what I can tell (from the outside) YC is a pretty diverse crowd and I believe PG once said that academic background doesn't much matter. Grit (aka resilience, determination, relentlessness, etc) is more important. In fact, there's nothing in the application form that even asks about education (there used to be but maybe it moved to the additional founder info - i.e it doesn't seem…

I think this impression is pervasive (at least amongst my friends). It would be great to highlight founders who have gotten into YC who don't "fit the mold" so to speak. Most, if not all, of the "check out my winning YC application" posts have multiple Ivy League/Stanford founders, advantageous childhoods, etc. Add to that the same posts have "multiple people who are YC alums read, edited, and/or vetted our application" and you can see how that impression can spread.

Re: Applying to YC

#45

Post by oretoz »

sama wrote: post #11
oretoz wrote: post #9

Sam's comments are encouraging but in the notes [1] about the application process they also mention how they look at a user's comments. I signed up on HN after being a passive reader for a long time and so haven't accumulated a lot of karma. I suppose lack of comments shouldn't be a deterrent as Sam suggested but may be the messaging needs to change a bit? Just my humble opinion. [1] https://www.ycombinator.com/howto…

most partners don't look at this very much.

That is great to know. I had mistakenly assumed that it is one of the key requirements. I am in my late 30s and will be soon starting on my startup journey. Having worked with a big telecom vendor for a large part of my career, I sometimes make the mistake of finding reasons why I cannot start a venture. I suppose it is time for a real change. Whether I go for YC or not this year (I live in the UK and cannot leave in the near future for personal reasons), I am surely going to give this whole startup thing a good kick in the coming days!

Thanks all.

Re: Applying to YC

#46

Post by paul »

rmena123 wrote: post #40
paul wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are wrong :) YC founders come from everywhere.

I don't care to talk about race or gender, if you are good you are good, but me being American/Mexican "Hispanic" does YC have any?

I'm sure we do, but honestly I don't know how to tell if someone is Mexican, or if they just have a Hispanic name.

Re: Applying to YC

#47

Post by rmena123 »

paul wrote: post #46
rmena123 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't care to talk about race or gender, if you are good you are good, but me being American/Mexican "Hispanic" does YC have any?

I'm sure we do, but honestly I don't know how to tell if someone is Mexican, or if they just have a Hispanic name.

I hope so cause I keep looking haha. I have jet black hair, tanned skin, know very little Spanish, but people still approach me speaking Spanish. :)

Re: Applying to YC

#48

Post by larrys »

sama wrote: post #42
rmena123 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree somewhat, I guess its just the impression many have.

if people have that impression, i think they looking for an excuse and not looking at data.

I don't see it as a "look at the data" thing I see it as a human behavior thing.

I think it's actually a decent barrier which may correctly hold back people who are easily scared off (or who read situations wrong) at what appears to be a challenge that they don't or aren't able to face. In that case it's probably a good thing, not a bad thing. [1]

The "take your jack and shove it" parable applies here:

http://williamhorberg.typepad.com/william_horberg/2010/05/th...

From my personal experience I've had cases where people have spammed me and I've ended up selling them things. (In one case in particular, a $160,000 sale...)

[1] In old school business these people were sometimes called "triflers". In ads people selling things would put in "no triflers" or "serious inquiries only" or "if you don't know what a junket is don't bother to even call". A person with (for lack of a better way to put it) "balls" would not be deterred by that at all.

Re: Applying to YC

#49

Post by rmena123 »

sama wrote: post #42
rmena123 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree somewhat, I guess its just the impression many have.

if people have that impression, i think they looking for an excuse and not looking at data.

Maybe, by no means am I referring to my past rejections, I know I lacked a team or maybe project idea itself. But look around the room next meetup, its lacking something.

Re: Applying to YC

#50

Post by impendia »

rmena123 wrote: post #25

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't YC for the Ivy League class type? The "I dropped out cause I am smart" type? The "I wrote a book on _____" type? "I worked at Google or Facebook" type? What about the regular type that doesn't have much to show, but wants to do great things? Basically, I feel like the YC application is a pissing match of who can piss the farthest shown on paper not outside. haha :) I have realized…

> What about the regular type that doesn't have much to show, but wants to do great things?

People who want to do great things, and who have the right combination of talent and drive to actually do them, have usually done great things already. Perhaps not in the same sphere, and perhaps not as great as they aim in the future, but still great.

If you don't have much to show, why should you expect to be regarded favorably in any competitive endeavor? Evaluating people based on what they have demonstrated is by far the fairest method, and I can't really imagine what you would propose to replace it with.

If you don't have much to show now, you have the opportunity to see to it that you will in a few months. Just because some doors are closed to you now doesn't mean they will be forever.

Good luck to you!

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