

Y Combinator Applicant Video Collection - citizenkeys
http://wikitorrents.org/wiki/ycombinator_applicants

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photon_off
It was really an eye-opening experience to go through a big list of these
videos. Thank you to everyone who has participated. It definitely gives me a
new perspective. I once thought it inconsiderate that YC didn't even click the
demo link in my application, but now it's obvious that it's a necessary evil
in sifting through so much of this.

One thing that stood out to me was how late all the videos were in the
application process. About 75% of the videos were submitted within 48 hours of
the deadline. It seems that submitting just a week earlier than the deadline
would gain a huge advantage in terms of how much time the YC folks are able to
commit to your application.

If I had to sift through this many videos in a short amount of time, I
wouldn't even finish most of them. Whereas, if I received a video for the
first time in a few days, I'd probably watch the whole thing regardless, and
even try out the demo.

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citizenkeys
Did you submit a video with your application? If so, where is it? :-)

~~~
photon_off
I didn't apply this time around, for several reasons which aren't really
important. Otherwise, I'd have definitely included it... you know, to show
others how it's done.

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citizenkeys
This began in the node.js chatroom last night. But it just proves my own
ycombinator application was a good idea (WikiTorrents): a website where you
can list downloadable videos that you can get on other websites.

~~~
endlessvoid94
So why haven't you started building it?

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citizenkeys
Umm... the link _IS_ WikiTorrents.org . I've been working on this project for
a year. Check it out: <http://wikitorrents.org/wiki/ycombinator_applicants>

~~~
wehriam
Just a heads up, I'm getting a 403.

~~~
citizenkeys
Hmm... we have a somewhat zealous firewall tool on our servers, but I modified
it.

Try again and let me know. Thanks!

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AlexPD
I'm in no way intending to be rude, but the standard set in those videos isn't
at all as high as I would have expected.

Even without post-production editing, surely there should at least be adequate
lighting conditions and camera alignment.

I think clearing breaking the pitch into parts would be a good idea also. Such
as an intro, about the founders, about the problem, about revenue, etc.

I would make specific comments per video but that wouldn't be a nice thing to
do.

Just my 2c guys, good luck to you all!

~~~
citizenkeys
The worst video I was with really choppy webcam video and it also had a
several second delay between the audio and the video. I mean, if you can't
even operate the webcam, why bother labeling yourself a "hacker" and applying
for start-up funding?

Second worst I saw was some stoned guy going on about how much he hated seeing
"all the genitalia" on chatroulette. Seriously. This was a real video.

The best two I personally saw were a video of several founders for a question
and answer site and a new-age guy with an idea for personal metaphysical
space. Both videos were very engaging given their short length.

~~~
livejake
Hahahaha.

Stoned guy here. You just need to chill out and recognize the problem of the
penis... man. It's giving the internet bad karma.

Seriously, I was a little tired, but I was not stoned. Could I have made an
awesome polished video? Sure. But they said talk spontaneously as I would to a
friend, and I took their instructions literally.

Any feedback on the concept?

~~~
citizenkeys
oh man, you kick ass! thanks for being a good sport about it.

For those just joining us, here's the video:
<http://livejake.posterous.com/application-video>

My recommendation would have been to seem more enthusiastic and professional.
The idea seemed kind of, umm, unique. But if you had presented it more
professionally and with serious facts and data, I think it would have made a
better impression Also, maybe some ideas about who you will market the idea
and how it could make money. You could've offered specifics about maybe
marketing it to parents somehow. Or connecting your idea to some sort of
succesful product that involves internet safety.

~~~
livejake
Yeah, you're right about being enthusiastic and professional. Thanks for the
feedback.

As for stats and data, I tend to buy Chris Dixon's argument that narratives
are more important than numbers: [http://cdixon.org/2010/04/03/size-markets-
using-narratives-n...](http://cdixon.org/2010/04/03/size-markets-using-
narratives-not-numbers/) Nevertheless, some statistics are useful.

I included additional details about potential users and what not in my
application.

An example use-case, which I didn't get into in the video, is an
entrepreneurial designers and developers event.

Here's how it works: 1) Designers and developers RSVP in advance for an online
event that takes place at a set date and time.

2) Upon joining the event, each designer is presented with a list of
developers in the event with basic bio info from their LinkedIn profile. Each
designer can then check off who they want to chat with in the event. The same
happens for developers.

3) Once the event starts, they are placed in a series of one-on-one chat with
a designer (or developer) that they've previously indicated that they're
interested in meeting. During the chats, each participant can view the other
participants LinkedIn profile. These chats last for a set time, say three
minutes, like speed dating. In the event, participants meet a lot of people
that they're interested in meeting in short one-on-one chats. That's the
general idea.

There are a lot of flaws with this concept. And I've actually started working
on a different idea shortly after I submitted my Ycombinator app, but I still
think this idea has some limited potential.

~~~
citizenkeys
Do you have a working site or a demo or something to show off? If so, let me
know.

~~~
livejake
What I submitted was this: rapidintro.com:8000 You need two people to really
demo it. Oauth with LinkedIn and then you video chat. The video chat is still
buggy. We didn't finish the event system. This is the first ChatRoulette
configuration written in Erlang.

The reason the design looks like it was designed by Slovakian college student
for $50 is, well, because it was designed by a Slovakian college student for
$50.

As I said before, we are now working on a different application and we should
be completing that shortly. I'm considering releasing this application, with
some design tweaks, as is to Hacker News and other entrepreneurial communities
and seeing what happens.

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davidu
I'm surprised at how poorly planned and filmed most of these videos are.

Is that the point? Is it supposed to be so rough? (Note: I've never applied to
YC or looked at the application)

~~~
citizenkeys
Here's the official instructions for making a video:
<http://ycombinator.com/video.html>

The instructions say: The video should contain nothing except the founders
talking. No screenshots or postproduction wizardry please; we don't want this
to turn into a video making contest. If you're going to spend time making
something cool, put it into your demo/product.

However, I agree with you. I think people should strive to make a good first
impression.

Beyond the bad quality of some of the videos, I was surprised how many people
submitted videos saying words to the effect of "I have another co-founder but
he couldn't be here for this video." If I were watching those and heard that,
I'd automatically reject the applicant. If you can't even get your alleged co-
founder together for a simple one minute video then things are obviously
already falling apart.

~~~
jamesteow
"If you can't even get your alleged co-founder together for a simple one
minute video then things are obviously already falling apart."

I've actually heard of people applying a few hours before the deadline. So if
they are geographically distant from one another, they just use webcams.

~~~
jeffwidman
I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii and we didn't put together the application
until after I got married, so we used two webcams and spliced 'em together...

~~~
citizenkeys
My comment wasn't about videos of co-founders spliced together.

My comment was about people that just basically said, in so many words, "I
have a co-founder but he refused to show up even for a one-minute video."

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JoeAltmaier
Very cool! Nice idea - customizable lists, context but not content.

{ ouch - hard to watch myself }

~~~
citizenkeys
The wiki has its benefits, the best being that I can revert to previous
versions if somebody messes up a page edit or does graffiti on a page.

The wiki is not very granular, though. Nor is it easy to edit. The current
setup is going an overhaul and being replaced with a "much better" version
that I'm still testing. I hope to have it implemented publicly within a month.

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robryan
Interesting that most people haven't put a nice shirt/ suit jacket on. I know
it probably has little impact but it gives a good initial impression.

