Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience • Hacker News Board

Re: Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience

#31

Post by brk » Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 1:49 PM UTC

eterno wrote: post #8

Is it just me, or do real entrepreneurs need to be less excited about this YC interview thingy. If you care so much for third party approval from PG and folks (not that they are not nice/smart ppl) but then just go to a B-school dude and get that nice degree which will surrogate for your competencies in the real world. BillG didnt need no YC, neither did Google guys and neither did the ipod god - infact even PG didnt…

Todays landscape is vastly different from when MS and Apple were founded. Even Google for that matter.

In reading through most of the YC-funding companies, it seems they cater not only to Web-type startups, but also very young (on average) founders.

If you've been doing startups for a while, you don't need YC. If you're new to the whole starting/operating a business and raising money, it would seem to be a very valuable relationship. I learned most of the lessons that YC-funded founders will learn along the way. But I did it on my own, and at a cost of about $500K of my personal money when I was in my 20's. I would have gladly given up a few % for the money, and most importantly the advice and experience.

Re: Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience

#32

Post by systemtrigger » Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 4:07 PM UTC

eterno wrote: post #12

pg wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually we did have a prototype of YC: we had an angel investor, Julian Weber, who gave us our first $10k, got all our paperwork done, taught us the rudiments of business, introduced us to one of our two next investors, and let us demo to them in his NYC loft. We were very lucky to have Julian, and we would have been even better off with YC, which is a superset. In addition to all the above, you get other startups a…

Exactly, and for those guys who do not get into YC, they still have the option of getting a 'prototype of YC' - which in your own words is almost the same as YC. I am not saying YC is bad - far from it - I am myself a big fan. The only thing I was pointing out was that the YC interview rejection/acceptance should ideally have only as much importance as being rejected/accepted from probably another angel investor - wh…

These guys are "building a more efficient market for flights" so they might need the kinds of connections and insight YC promises. If the founders are amazing and yet they need help producing their show you assume it's all a funding issue. They're from Australia; they don't know tech angels or Silicon Valley, they know YC. Even if all they think they need is money I don't know any angels who are clamouring for unreferred new blood, do you?

Success in the flights industry can be lucrative but if you don't hit a home run you get zip. Solution: impress some knowledgeable, connected people who will be determined to help you if they like you. These guys passed, maybe they have reason to be happy.

Re: Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience

#33

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 5:34 PM UTC

axod wrote: post #21

david927 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Europe and there's not much in the way of concept level funding here. I completely understand the OP -- having any help, let alone a few months of funding, the mentorship and Demo Day is definitely worth getting excited about, especially if you're not already in a hub area. On a funny note: We just had TechCrunch party here in Prague over the weekend, and it was like an AA meeting. No investors, just startu…

It matters if you let it matter. If you feel you need to go the whole Angel->VC schmoozing route, then definitely location matters. But there's a lot of other ways to get started.

[deleted]

Re: Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience

#34

Post by pg » Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 5:47 PM UTC

eterno wrote: post #12

pg wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually we did have a prototype of YC: we had an angel investor, Julian Weber, who gave us our first $10k, got all our paperwork done, taught us the rudiments of business, introduced us to one of our two next investors, and let us demo to them in his NYC loft. We were very lucky to have Julian, and we would have been even better off with YC, which is a superset. In addition to all the above, you get other startups a…

Exactly, and for those guys who do not get into YC, they still have the option of getting a 'prototype of YC' - which in your own words is almost the same as YC. I am not saying YC is bad - far from it - I am myself a big fan. The only thing I was pointing out was that the YC interview rejection/acceptance should ideally have only as much importance as being rejected/accepted from probably another angel investor - wh…

which in your own words is almost the same as YC

Where did I say that? My point was that we were lucky to get a subset of YC.

Re: Tales from the trenches: our Y Combinator Interview Experience

#35

Post by siong1987 » Thu, Apr 16, 2009, 6:27 PM UTC

tomaitch wrote: post #13

bentoner wrote: post #3

Congrats! Did you guys move back to Melbourne after Y Combinator?

We're back in Melbourne now, planning to return to the Valley in a couple of months and bracing ourselves for the immigration minefield.

May I know what do you have to do to get working visa in the states? I am having the same problem right now. I am currently now in US on student visa.