If you're still on the fence about whether or not you should reply, I suggest reading "What Happens at YC": http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html - that's the essay that convinced us to apply with Lanyrd, and it was everything the essay promised and more.
Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
41–50 of 126 posts
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#42[deleted]
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#43I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top…
If you are more tenacious than Sam Altman, then you should use your tenacity to tenaciously find a cofounder.
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#44I would like to ask a question. We have a product. We have beta customers and it seems we will have revenue of about $30K/year (that is according to survey of existing customers). We believe the revenue should be 100M/year :) But we are not sure if we know what we don't know. We are old (in 40s) and geeks (never did any business before but we dreamed about). Does it make sense for us apply to Y combinator? Meaning wh…
Nowadays it is common for YC founders to be older. One group of founders had 9 kids between the 2 of them that they brought to Mountain View for this last YC batch. Those guys also had a product already, although after YC it is a few times larger and they raised a nice seed round. Go for it!
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#45Shameless plug: I want to do this 100%. I have exhausted every single person I know who codes for the passed 4 years. It pretty much comes down to "They don't want to do the work and are completely happy in their current job". If anyone is interested, I would love to be your co-founder. I have built several websites. I am experienced in both C# and Java. Ive built several Android Apps. I know DBs like the back of my…
Hustle a co-founder on community sites (e.g. Forrst). I did (http://forr.st/~1rG) and it worked out wonderfully. If you want a co-founder, you have to go out and find one (especially if you want a good one).
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#46I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top…
If you're such a rockstar, why bother with YC at all?
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#47Just curious, is there any stigma attached to companies that apply without being 100% on everyone being able to move to the Bay Area? I personally can move, though, my co-founder is still in school (it's just the two of us). Is it better to just wait until everyone can move?
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#48I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top…
If you are more tenacious than Sam Altman, then you should use your tenacity to tenaciously find a cofounder.
I don't know if finding a co-founder is about tenacity. When I was looking for a co-founder for my idea, the problem wasn't finding someone who was interested or qualified - it was finding someone I thought I could work with that closely, and someone I could trust 100%. The poster is probably in a similar scenario...
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#49I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top…
From my experience of entering YC as a single founder, you need to find a key and simple differentiator that separates you from all of the co-founded companies applying. It should be super clear and concise why you are going to succeed when other's aren't. Statistically, single founder companies fail a hell of a lot more than co-founded companies, you need to give them a reason to take a chance on you.
Also, don't place too much importance on the idea, they know you'll figure it out eventually.
Re: Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding
#50Shameless plug: I want to do this 100%. I have exhausted every single person I know who codes for the passed 4 years. It pretty much comes down to "They don't want to do the work and are completely happy in their current job". If anyone is interested, I would love to be your co-founder. I have built several websites. I am experienced in both C# and Java. Ive built several Android Apps. I know DBs like the back of my…
Do not wait. A great cofounder is more likely to come along if you build it.
Don't you think that some people would be hesitant to join a startup as a cofounder with a product already in development?