I'm really curious how YC will choose which companies get $10k. They don't mention this anywhere.
I'd guess it's probably a combination of which teams are most promising and need the money the most.
Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
51–60 of 67 posts
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#52For those that took part in previous years, would this be suitable for those of us running (or thinking of starting..) bootstrapped startups, as solo-entrepreneurs? I ask because the curriculum looks great, but wondered if the mentoring might be a little more focused towards the more traditional startups looking to progress to VC funding, rather than those of us that are taking things a little slower on our own.
We're bootstrapped, and we did it last year. I wrote about our experience: https://canny.io/blog/what-youll-get-out-of-y-combinators-st...
I would guess that this is YC's version of freemium. They're giving away a slimmed down version of their product for free, to drive brand awareness / resonance, and attract more qualified leads to their paid (7%) program.
You might not be interested in YC proper, but there's still plenty of great advice, that will probably translate into you having a more successful startup.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
What has @pg been up to recently? I remember the good old days when he was semi-invisible moding on hn. My participation has gone down due to other priorities but it seems that his spirit is well continued here and the new mods are excellent at keeping drama out and making hn stay true to its core.
My impression was that he had semi-retired to spend time with his family (and good for him! he certainly deserves it after founding YC) That being said, I've certainly missed pg essays as of late...
Though I can't be sure, I think a big reason for his retirement had to do with the Two Minutes Hate he was subjected to at the hands of the Internet Outrage Machine. PG has always had a knack for being misunderstood, and I think disappearing from the spotlight was his way of making sure that problem didn't hurt YC.
Unfortunately for you and me, that means no more great essays. It's kind of funny because, in retrospect, "What You Can't Say" almost prophesied how this all went down; his only mistake was not seeing the storm coming.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
My impression was that he had semi-retired to spend time with his family (and good for him! he certainly deserves it after founding YC) That being said, I've certainly missed pg essays as of late...
Though I can't be sure, I think a big reason for his retirement had to do with the Two Minutes Hate he was subjected to at the hands of the Internet Outrage Machine. PG has always had a knack for being misunderstood, and I think disappearing from the spotlight was his way of making sure that problem didn't hurt YC. Unfortunately for you and me, that means no more great essays. It's kind of funny because, in retrospec…
I remain hopeful that the outrage machine will fizzle itself out. The key is to make sure resources are distributed as widely as possible, but without eliminating the concept of private ownership. When people want for nothing, there's not much to be mad about.
... If only. Even as I write the words, they ring hollow. Hate may be with us forever. But one cure is time: it's easier to look back and see how ridiculous it was in the moment. It always is.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#55What is in it for YC to give away a million dollars for nothing in return?
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#56[deleted]
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#57For those that took part in previous years, would this be suitable for those of us running (or thinking of starting..) bootstrapped startups, as solo-entrepreneurs? I ask because the curriculum looks great, but wondered if the mentoring might be a little more focused towards the more traditional startups looking to progress to VC funding, rather than those of us that are taking things a little slower on our own.
We're bootstrapped, and we did it last year. I wrote about our experience: https://canny.io/blog/what-youll-get-out-of-y-combinators-st... I would guess that this is YC's version of freemium. They're giving away a slimmed down version of their product for free, to drive brand awareness / resonance, and attract more qualified leads to their paid (7%) program. You might not be interested in YC proper, but there's still…
It is amazing how successful YC has been. Is there another well known accelerator that has close to YC’s total valuation of startups?
Also it baffles me that YC has close to 1000 startups that have gone through them but only one “Dropbox” has IPO’d.
I get the feeling that YC’s best days are ahead when things they invested in a decade ago will pay off huge returns.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
My impression was that he had semi-retired to spend time with his family (and good for him! he certainly deserves it after founding YC) That being said, I've certainly missed pg essays as of late...
Though I can't be sure, I think a big reason for his retirement had to do with the Two Minutes Hate he was subjected to at the hands of the Internet Outrage Machine. PG has always had a knack for being misunderstood, and I think disappearing from the spotlight was his way of making sure that problem didn't hurt YC. Unfortunately for you and me, that means no more great essays. It's kind of funny because, in retrospec…
It's a good story, but realistically PG wouldn't let some internet "outrage" determine whether or not something is currently his life's focus.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#59What is in it for YC to give away a million dollars for nothing in return?
1. Brand awareness 2. lead generation for future investments 3. YC version of charity.
Re: Startup School 2018 – Curriculum
#60And nothing about discussing the mental, emotional and psychological pressures and stresses placed on entrepreneurs.. like that fact that the majority of entrepreneurs are likely going to lose their partners and possibly irreparably damage their friendships... YCombinator isn't what it used to be. Shame
The best way to cope with the stress of running a company is by having peers to talk to, like other startup founders.
The same is true of other hard roles in life, but most roles have built-in peer groups. Like, being a parent is hard so you need other parents to talk to, but you naturally meet other parents in your neighborhood. Being a soldier is hard, but you're bunking with other soldiers. Being a startup founder is isolating by default, if you don't make some effort to build yourself a support group.
The regular YC program helps with this because founders meet frequently in person and get to know each other. I've seen many lasting friendships come out it. Also, the YC partners and staff psychologist help many founders cope with pressure.
It's a valid concern that online-only startup schools will encourage people to start companies in isolation, and they'll end up with unbearable levels of stress. Ways to cope with pressure will be discussed, and there'll be peer interaction that could lead to lasting supportive relationships, but it's an open question how well it'll work without in-person connections.
Whether or not you're in the class, if you're suffering founder stress please consider doing a workshop with https://www.helloinnerspace.org/ (YC S15).