With all due respect to YC, but perhaps product market fit is actually more important than product+company YC fit? I'd work on the product rather than the YC presentation...
Got rejected to YC and now feel happy about it:)
11–13 of 13 posts
Re: Got rejected to YC and now feel happy about it:)
#12Are you creating a breakthrough technology instead of incremental improvements? Are you starting with a big share of a small market? Will your market position be defensible 10 and 20 years into the future? Have you identified a unique opportunity that others don't see? I'm guess you've answered no to several of the questions above. That's why they didn't pick you.
I like Thiel's book and ideas as much as the next person, but it disturbs me to see them parroted, because some of these questions aren't even good. Especially these two: Are you creating a breakthrough technology instead of incremental improvements? Will your market position be defensible 10 and 20 years into the future? Did any of Uber, Facebook, Twitter, AirBNB, Dropbox, etc. have breakthrough technology? Meaning…
He states in his book that one's company does not have to exhibit all of the characteristics he mentions. I think Uber, FB, Twitter, AirBnB, and Dropbox do have a majority of them though. I think there are much better problems to solve in spaces other than email.
Re: Got rejected to YC and now feel happy about it:)
#13We'll work our asses off to get into Summer batch. How about just "work your ass off to make a great product that satisfies your users, and grow your company", where getting into YC (or not) is just a side effect? Pointedly working to get into YC sounds, to me, like a micro-optimization, that may or may not make much difference in terms of your end goal(s).
Also, if you really believe in success of your company, why would you give a significant chunk of it to some investor?