The Startup School logo is really cool - a bunch of Y Combinator 'Y's forming a tree. It fits what they seem to be going for with by calling the MOOC 'Startup School' and symbolizes the programming definition of Y Combinator. Whoever came up with that design does good work. :)
Startup School – YC’s Online Class
61–70 of 70 posts
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#62I'm very optimistic about this program, but I also wonder how much of the success of the main program and the fellowship can be scaled into a MOOC. I was part of YCF1 as AirPaper, and while I think it was an incredibly valuable experience, most of the things the YC partners told us we're things that we "knew." Most of the advice was available in one essay or another, but it still felt very, very different to have one…
Not sure if you already saw this, but it does look like there will be group and 1-1 office hours:
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#63This is a smart move by YC. This gives them a platform to assess promising ideas and teams at no-cost. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point teams become required to graduate from the program before being able to apply to YC.
I am not trying to be cynical here or downplay the value of their contribution. I think that they will genuinely teach the best of what they know to people. And what I am actually saying is that this is a good example of healthy capitalism.
This is an example of the fact that it is possible to articulate your best interests in a way that also helps people.
But I have to say that also admire the strategy itself. This is the kind of things that get you thinking : "they should have done it a long time ago" after you see the solution. Never thought about it either to be fair, but this is how you recognize the best solutions : they shine through their simplicity.
Anyway, well found and wishing you the best with this, and hopefully this will help and inspire many people to make the world a more pleasant place.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#64The test is whether the core YC aspects can scale?
* How can we motivate people to build on a weekly basis?
* Can we be a credible source of advice so people can save time by not second-guessing it?
* Can we identify which problems need resolving and intervene at depth?
* Can we connect the community through this shared experience?
Lots of assumptions to test.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#65As someone who lives in a regional city in Australia, Im very excited to have the opportunity to join the program.
Watching the lectures on Youtube offers a one way information transfer, which while its an amazing amount of information im hoping that this MOOC will allow a bit more of a two way communication.
So Thanks.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#66"30-40% of these will be recorded advice sessions with startups—we’ve always heard from entrepreneurs that this is some of our most helpful content."
Excellent. Learning online is best served by using video. Following the model of getting the best on tape, distributing to a mass audience. cf: MIT online 6.001 lectures. I'm thinking the Hal Abelson lectures from '85)
"We’ll have an online community via Slack and email where you can connect with other entrepreneurs in the class."
Expedience. Not a fan of slack. Is a YC discussion/mooc platform being planned?
"4) At the end of the class, participants will have a chance to share what they’ve built with a wide audience."
How is this happening? Slack?
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#67I hope that there is some kind of 1:1 they can do here. We're part of a startup in a non-techy city. We're a service business and although our immediate future is bright, I have major questions about how to scale our business outside of acquiring similar companies doing stuff close to what we're doing and changing their strategy. Sure, there are mentors here who have grown a business...but I want YC-enabled growth...
We hope to provide 1:1 and group office hours to as many companies as possible.
That's great. I will fly to SF just to get the quality time.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#68Dates of recording for the videos on the home page of startupschool.org? Would be helpful to prospective students.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#69I hope that there is some kind of 1:1 they can do here. We're part of a startup in a non-techy city. We're a service business and although our immediate future is bright, I have major questions about how to scale our business outside of acquiring similar companies doing stuff close to what we're doing and changing their strategy. Sure, there are mentors here who have grown a business...but I want YC-enabled growth...
Which non-techy city? We are based out of Melbourne Australia. All the startup events is 100% startup founders with the next uber/airbnb/facebook and zero mentors/advisors/investors.
What we realized that the success of startup is not talent and perseverance. It's how much money you have to bootstrap, who do you know, what city your startup is based out of and how many VCs you can approach.
Re: Startup School – YC’s Online Class
#70I was laughed off of HN when I suggested a few years ago that YC was en route to becoming the world's first true 21st century university. Applying pg's question of "What Microsoft Is this the Altair Basic of" to YC itself, the answer to me has always been a modern university. From the regular cohorts, to nascent investment in basic research, to residential component, to doing things that make a big impact on the worl…
You would be happy to know that in fact I believe PG has said as much himself :) https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/sam-altman-taking-over-as-...
Ha - I had no idea!