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Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

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Re: Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

#12

Post by namenotrequired »

tobylane wrote: post #5

Answering as if your question said "And does that make you want to change your application process", because the first time I read it I thought it did. My understanding of the essays I've read is that there wouldn't be much point in it. Ideas evolve or change entirely, and more importantly people improve. If the gut feeling was no then, all you know is that something changed.

all you know is that something changed.

Or you missed something that was already there - IMO more likely, considering how little you can learn about someone from the application, and that the founders at least had the potential to become what they are today.

Re: Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

#13

Post by namenotrequired »

aashaykumar92 wrote: post #9

Reviewing rejected apps would be a waste of time given how many apps YC has received. Also, what does 'big' mean? I doubt a startup exists that was rejected by YC then grew to a $1B valuation--someone would probably have heard of that by now, made a big deal of it, and those of us on HN would know. But I don't doubt that YC-rejected startups have gone on to raise a few rounds of funding and/or may have even made <$10…

Reviewing rejected apps would be a waste of time given how many apps YC has received

Only a small number of those will have made it big since then, though (by whatever definition). So they'd only have to look at a small amount to see if there were any indicators that they might have overlooked.

Re: Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

#16

Post by presty »

itsprofitbaron wrote: post #7

Based on a question answered by PG on Askolo, YCombinator track them[1]: Q: Have there been any startups you've later regretted rejecting from YCombinator? A: Sure, several. But I can't name names because it's not for me to disclose that they applied. Additionally they also mention about contacting them on rejected applications[2]: "If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email telling us about it; we want…

Here's another one: Buffer

https://www.quora.com/Y-Combinator/Whats-it-like-to-get-reje...

Re: Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

#17

Post by zt »

daniel-cussen wrote: post #15
hack_edu wrote: post #14

Why so much 'Ask PG' lately when he never replies, let alone read them?

Seriously. I guess for him these kinds of posts have, overall, low signal vs. noise.

He has answered this question so many times in so many places. In fact, he mentions the fact that YC tracks the companies they reject quite often -- including here on HN and in essays. Given that, I find it likely he has read the comment but find it unlikely he'd take the time to respond since it's so obviously asked by someone who isn't paying enough attention to even do ten minutes of research on their own.

Re: Ask PG: Do you review rejected YC apps to find startups who then made it big?

#18

Post by baldajan »

namenotrequired wrote: post #12
tobylane wrote: post #5

Answering as if your question said "And does that make you want to change your application process", because the first time I read it I thought it did. My understanding of the essays I've read is that there wouldn't be much point in it. Ideas evolve or change entirely, and more importantly people improve. If the gut feeling was no then, all you know is that something changed.

all you know is that something changed. Or you missed something that was already there - IMO more likely, considering how little you can learn about someone from the application, and that the founders at least had the potential to become what they are today.

I disagree, founders and products change, and can make the difference between lifestyle and $1B. Having had multiple rejections for years from different sources (then accepted with the same idea), I know this to be true. It's less about having a "great idea" and more about having the vision and ability to execute on it - that's what needs to be proven.
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