How many companies/startups will actually be chosen to enter the batch?
I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
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Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#12Sam, What would you say is the average amount of times a company applies before a. getting an interview at YC and b. actually getting in?
It is often on the first time. The 7th time is the highest count I know of. It's common for it to be on the second or third time.
If we reject a company at interviews, we'll say what our objection is. If you reapply and that isn't fixed, you're unlikely to get in.
More generally, fast progress is something we really look for when deciding to fund startups.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#13What is the #1 cause of failure of YC startups and how long does it usually take to materialise?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#14Have you guys followed the alternative lending IPOs recently? (Lending Club and OnDeck in December, both with billion dollar valuations). What does YC think of the industry?
Personally, I think it's super interesting. LendUp is a company we funded a few years ago, and we've done more recently.
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#15Are you going to do another semester of "How to start a startup" classes at Stanford?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#16What are your thoughts on teams applying pre-product (but in development) with an experienced/diverse team compared to teams with product/initial traction? Do you weigh them differently during application reviews?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#17Once we submit our application, does making edits to our application affect anything?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#18Where do you see YC 10 years from now?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#19What's your thoughts on teams that are applying from London?
Re: I Am Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator. AMA
#20[deleted]