YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday). • Hacker News Board

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#11

Post by walterk » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 3:16 AM UTC

gqwu wrote: post #5

Anyone else feeling nervous? I hope we at least get an interview so we can present to PG & Co.

No, but this is also my second time applying. Given how ridiculously competitive it was during the summer round, I feel it's probably unreasonable for just about anyone to get their hopes up.

My advice is, don't bank your startup dreams on getting in. If your team and idea truly have merit, you can and should have a startup plan that does not depend on getting into YC. View it as the best-case scenario instead.

Not getting in, by the way, does not imply that your team and idea don't have merit. Last time they couldn't accept many that did.

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#12

Post by callmeed » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 3:29 AM UTC

walterk wrote: post #11

gqwu wrote: post #5

Anyone else feeling nervous? I hope we at least get an interview so we can present to PG & Co.

No, but this is also my second time applying. Given how ridiculously competitive it was during the summer round, I feel it's probably unreasonable for just about anyone to get their hopes up. My advice is, don't bank your startup dreams on getting in. If your team and idea truly have merit, you can and should have a startup plan that does not depend on getting into YC. View it as the best-case scenario instead. Not g…

Does YC publish the number of applicants for past rounds?

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#13

Post by jamiequint » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 3:36 AM UTC

callmeed wrote: post #12

walterk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but this is also my second time applying. Given how ridiculously competitive it was during the summer round, I feel it's probably unreasonable for just about anyone to get their hopes up. My advice is, don't bank your startup dreams on getting in. If your team and idea truly have merit, you can and should have a startup plan that does not depend on getting into YC. View it as the best-case scenario instead. Not g…

Does YC publish the number of applicants for past rounds?

not since TechStars started competing more directly with them.

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#14

Post by gqwu » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 4:07 AM UTC

callmeed wrote: post #12

walterk wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, but this is also my second time applying. Given how ridiculously competitive it was during the summer round, I feel it's probably unreasonable for just about anyone to get their hopes up. My advice is, don't bank your startup dreams on getting in. If your team and idea truly have merit, you can and should have a startup plan that does not depend on getting into YC. View it as the best-case scenario instead. Not g…

Does YC publish the number of applicants for past rounds?

I saw the number 600 a few times, not sure which round it was for.

Only 50-60 groups will get invited to the interview. :(

Also I read that 75% of the apps are submitted in the week before the deadline.

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#15

Post by zeantsoi » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 4:18 AM UTC

I just noticed that the application deadline is listed as 10PM EST (not PST) on the "Y Combinator Funding Page", though it's listed as 10PM PST on another page. I wonder if this will have any repercussions on anybody...

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#16

Post by fuelfive » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 4:19 AM UTC

No such thing as too far along. Speaking as a YC founder who had angel money and a product going in, you'd have to be post-series A for YC not to make sense. The YC logo on your slide deck alone is probably enough to boost your valuation by more than 6.4%.

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#17

Post by LiveTimeCards » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 5:14 AM UTC

callmeed wrote: post #10

siong1987 wrote: post #7

Anyone of you apply with a ready prototype?

Yeah, I was able to get a rough prototype together this week. It doesn't have some of the better features I'm aiming for, but I think it helps to have something visible. We got our app in this morning. We listed about 4 or 5 other ideas in the app too. Not sure if that helps or hurts. Sometimes I go back and forth on what idea is most attractive/viable/appropriate.

Yeah I applied, they have a rough prototype that they can hopefully look at.

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#18

Post by bigthboy » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 5:42 AM UTC

siong1987 wrote: post #7

Anyone of you apply with a ready prototype?

I applied last week with a proof of concept ready and a prototype on the horizon (it would be done before the meeting if we got selected to come). Problem is A, it's not all online and the parts that are online aren't quite ready to be seen just yet (plus they don't really make sense unless you see the whole picture.)

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#19

Post by cofejay » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 6:02 AM UTC

gqwu wrote: post #14

callmeed wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does YC publish the number of applicants for past rounds?

I saw the number 600 a few times, not sure which round it was for. Only 50-60 groups will get invited to the interview. :( Also I read that 75% of the apps are submitted in the week before the deadline.

50-60..that is alot, so how many from that group actually get picked?

Re: YC Winter 2009 application is due today (Friday).

#20

Post by gqwu » Sat, Oct 18, 2008, 7:09 AM UTC

cofejay wrote: post #19

gqwu wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw the number 600 a few times, not sure which round it was for. Only 50-60 groups will get invited to the interview. :( Also I read that 75% of the apps are submitted in the week before the deadline.

50-60..that is alot, so how many from that group actually get picked?

Ycomb alumni bloggers say around 20-22. Tough odds!