We need to find our own patterns of success and think outside the YC box.
YC should never be the end of your dream. They're not always right (and they admit it). Keep on trucking along!
If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
31–40 of 52 posts
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
you applied this session? are the results out? i applied too but didn't receive any email..
I had applied for the previous round. I am heading there in early Jan/2012.
wait, if the people from previous round are going there in jan, when will this round's people go there than?
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
"that was one of their applicants" The idea can change but people's names don't change. "upon seeing a TechCrunch post 2 years later " The definition of "success" in your mind?
The over 4k applications they see use HN usernames. You're the one that said CrunchBase. The idea that they're supposed to monitor for every startup founder they ever rejected to pop up a few years later is retarded.
"they're supposed to monitor for every startup founder they ever rejected to pop up a few years later is retarded."
If they are interested in the information they can get the information as it is out there. So they shouldn't put any effort in? Poor them. So many applicants. So much work to cross reference.
"The over 4k applications they see use HN usernames."
People don't use their real names on applications?
For each founder, please list: YC username; name; age
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#34I'm not sure why people beat themselves up so much for not passing a candidate filter where teams of people select a candidate from a list based on various criteria and instinct. It has been mathematically demonstrated that these processes fail at doing a better job than throwing a dart at a wall containing a list of all the candidates. When I get a rejection letter for anything, I shrug and treat it like losing a ra…
i like your style good sir/maam
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#35While its a bummer to get this sort of rejection letter, I somehow think that if one of the ones that didn't get in didn't keep moving forward after this - deserve to had not gotten in anyway. This absolutely shouldnt stop you.
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#36I'm not sure why people beat themselves up so much for not passing a candidate filter where teams of people select a candidate from a list based on various criteria and instinct. It has been mathematically demonstrated that these processes fail at doing a better job than throwing a dart at a wall containing a list of all the candidates. When I get a rejection letter for anything, I shrug and treat it like losing a ra…
Just to remind some people:
- Damien Katz (creator of CouchDB) was also rejected[1]. He went on and got $2 million from Redpoint Ventures [2]
- On this video[3], Jessica Livingston interviews Drew. It shows that he was also rejected the first time he tried out YC.
- The oscar of rejected but finally accepted: I got into YC after applying six times [4]
- Peteris Krumins also got rejected with his browserling idea, got rejected[5], and went on to raise his own seed funding[6].
[1] http://damienkatz.net/2006/11/how_not_to_pitc.html
[2] http://damienkatz.net/2009/12/relaxed_inc.html
[3] http://ycombinator.posterous.com/dropbox-interview-now-onlin...
[4] http://iamwil.posterous.com/i-got-into-yc-after-applying-six...
[5] http://www.catonmat.net/blog/launching-browserling/
[6] http://www.catonmat.net/blog/how-i-raised-money-for-browserl...
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#37Well, I had applied to StartupChile and got accepted, but wanted to see how my luck would turn if I applied the same startup to YC. I would of prefered to be in SF with the great mentors and angels, but hey StartupChile give you $40k with no take of equity.
I'm curious what the acceptance rates are for StartupChile. My impression was that if you were "good", and jumped through all the hoops in filling out the app (which are substantial), you're likely to get in. With YC, it's probably an easier application, but you're not as likely to get in even if you're good. Good team AND existing traction AND communicate well is about as likely to get into YC as good team alone is…
The applications were about the same in terms of details and content required. I work solo so that could of had an effect on my YC "denial".
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#38If scoring of YC applications is anything like upvoting/downvoting of HN comments I do not think anyone should link their self-worth to getting rejected. My impression from talking with various YC partners at the Open House / Startup School was that the ones most qualified to evaluate my application have not seen it. But at the scale YC is operating now this sort of thing seems inevitable. Moral of the story: never p…
Having plans B, D, E ... ZZZ around is an incredible piece of advice from one who has experienced it. Stay alive, brother.
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#39A friend of mine who completed YC told me that there was a guy who got rejected 4 or 5 times before getting accepted. Just remember always be positive and keep working hard :) Cheers!
We got rejected the first time. Same idea, 2nd time, accepted.
We were down on music startups the first time after seeing so many get hosed by record labels. But you guys proved there's a great business model there.
Re: If all Rejection Letters could be so nice...
#40I'm not sure why people beat themselves up so much for not passing a candidate filter where teams of people select a candidate from a list based on various criteria and instinct. It has been mathematically demonstrated that these processes fail at doing a better job than throwing a dart at a wall containing a list of all the candidates. When I get a rejection letter for anything, I shrug and treat it like losing a ra…
Can you post a link or something about the not being able to beat random chance thing?
I can't give you an exact example for recruiting, but it seems like a very similar process in picking stocks. If you can imagine why lessons there might be applicable, you could look up the criticisms about mutual funds/"actively managed" funds vs. broad indices.