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YC: Requests for Startups

ycombinator.com

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Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#371

Post by 9cb14c1ec0 »

hobofan wrote: post #342
quartesixte wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That aluminum milling scaling problem itself is like, an entire category of hard. CNC machines are hard to scale anything more than linearly. We need to train up hundreds of thousands to become CNC machinists. An entire support industry for machine maintenance, tooling manufacturing (an even harder problem), consumable commodities needs to be similarly scaled in parallel.

> We need to train up hundreds of thousands to become CNC machinists What? Are you suggesting that aluminium phone cases nowadays are created by an army of trained CNC machinists? And not programmed once by a (few) dozen engineers per model of the handful of existing phone models and then executed by highly automated factories and an army of "low-skilled" workers.

Completely automated machining cells have been a thing for a long time.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#372

Post by [deleted] »

joey_bob wrote: post #357
shrimpx wrote: post #281

To those who think this list will help them get into YC, or lament "why didn't I get into YC when my idea was squarely on this list": The YC application is a sales pitch, and you're not selling your idea, you're primarily selling your charisma and capacity to spin vision and sell. Second, you're selling your chemistry with your cofounders and stability of your relationship. Third, you're selling your capacity to buil…

We've never been accepted, but my experience with application process indicates this isn't strictly true. We're not getting any more charismatic, but they have continued to show interest in us applying. Not sure if that's what everyone gets or not.

[deleted]

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#373

Post by 9cb14c1ec0 »

frob wrote: post #367

Today I learned that YC not only funds military companies, but encourages new startups to focus on killing machines and spying. And to point to the spy firm Palantir as an example of a model company shows how morally bankrupt YC truly is. Anything for a buck, right? All this while those same defense firms are currently making tens of billions of dollars supplying hardware to kill hundreds of civilians a day right thi…

> Anything for a buck, right?

So, how would the US defend itself against countries like China and Russia if no one built weapons? Everyone agrees weapons can be used in ethically horrendous ways. It doesn't follow from that, that the US doesn't need a weapons industry.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#374

Post by 9cb14c1ec0 »

advael wrote: post #152

It's bizarre to me that Tesla gets cited as an exemplar for operating as an American manufacturer for physical goods, given that it's been the subject of numerous scandals regarding quality control of the physical components manufactured there, many of which I've found out about through this very site. If manufacturing comes back to the US in the form of more companies that operate like Tesla, I would guess that Amer…

Consistent quality control is a much harder problem to solve than product design.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#375

Post by from-nibly »

joey_bob wrote: post #357
shrimpx wrote: post #281

To those who think this list will help them get into YC, or lament "why didn't I get into YC when my idea was squarely on this list": The YC application is a sales pitch, and you're not selling your idea, you're primarily selling your charisma and capacity to spin vision and sell. Second, you're selling your chemistry with your cofounders and stability of your relationship. Third, you're selling your capacity to buil…

We've never been accepted, but my experience with application process indicates this isn't strictly true. We're not getting any more charismatic, but they have continued to show interest in us applying. Not sure if that's what everyone gets or not.

They are never going to tell you to not apply. Why would they close that door?

There is no, no. They tell everyone "maybe next time."

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#376

Post by Uptrenda »

Animats wrote: post #221

Most of those take a lot more time and money than YC usually offers. There are some opportunities in "New Defense Technology". Something like a low-cost replacement for the Javelin anti-tank missile based on off the shelf phone camera parts ought to be possible. Of course, once that's out there, every insurgent group will have some. "Explainable AI" is really important. "Stablecoin finance" is mostly how to make sure…

>If the price drops, it detonates. That might work.

I would hate to cross you. That is scary.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#377

Post by zemo »

sirspacey wrote: post #369
frob wrote: post #367

Today I learned that YC not only funds military companies, but encourages new startups to focus on killing machines and spying. And to point to the spy firm Palantir as an example of a model company shows how morally bankrupt YC truly is. Anything for a buck, right? All this while those same defense firms are currently making tens of billions of dollars supplying hardware to kill hundreds of civilians a day right thi…

See “American Dynamism” https://a16z.com/american-dynamism/ It’s a moral stance, explicitly The founders that work in defense are mission driven. they see nation-state preservation as a moral issue. They would fail to “make a buck” if that was their only goal, as is the case in most industries/sectors Respectfully, I’d encourage you to review the HN guidelines. Skepticism is welcome here, but even cursory research wi…

> The founders that work in defense are mission driven

That's not really saying anything, since it doesn't say anything about what their mission is. Sure, you have to be mission driven to get things done and lots of good and necessary things have been accomplished by people who were mission driven, but every villain in history was mission driven too. To point at someone and say "they are mission driven" as if being mission driven is on its own evidence that someone is good is at best naive.

> they see nation-state preservation as a moral issue.

hmm, surely at no time in history was a bad thing done by a leader who believed that nation-state preservation was a moral issue.

> They would fail to “make a buck” if that was their only goal

A somewhat peculiar and unsubstantiated claim about an industry that famously makes enormous amounts of money.

> See “American Dynamism”

I'm not really sure what sort of point you're trying to make here other than "VCs like defense companies".

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#378

Post by the_only_law »

Draiken wrote: post #347
dang wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know how other investors operate but if YC sees a good founder working on something they don't care about, just because they think investors want them to work on it, they'd almost certainly tell them to switch to something they do care about. pg's most frequent advice to founders about ideas is to ask themselves what they themselves wish would exist, then make that—i.e. solve a problem you yourself have. Anot…

Interesting, because on existing startups I've seen them build features/products solely because they believe VCs will like it. Just look at AI and the amount of useless chatbots and other half-baked "AI" solutions several startups built in a rush after the topic became the latest fad and VCs were saying it's hot.

I wouldn’t count out the thought that there are many brainless people who convince themselves what’s “VCs will like” is “what they wish would exist”.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#379

Post by madeofpalk »

from-nibly wrote: post #375
joey_bob wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've never been accepted, but my experience with application process indicates this isn't strictly true. We're not getting any more charismatic, but they have continued to show interest in us applying. Not sure if that's what everyone gets or not.

They are never going to tell you to not apply. Why would they close that door? There is no, no. They tell everyone "maybe next time."

Well there’s applying, and then there’s offering the interview.

Re: YC: Requests for Startups

#380

Post by whatshisface »

reaperman wrote: post #337
Animats wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US currently imports only 17% of its steel, mostly from Canada and Mexico. The US also exports steel, but imports are about 4x exports. So the US steel industry is doing OK. 60% of US steel consumption is now from recycled steel. Nucor became the largest US steel manufacturer by making that work.

It takes (up to) 456.23% import tariffs[0] to achieve that 17%. So you pay china $1 million for some amount of steel (via vietnam) and then pay the us gov $4.56 million for a total cost of $5.56 million. It’s amazing that so many steel companies are still underperforming in the USA seemingly in spite the intense protectionism. 0: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-us-vietnam-steel-trad... .

So, essentially, we can all become factory workers if we're willing to accept a drastic decrease in our standard of living.
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