

Applications open Winter 2014 Funding - pg
http://ycombinator.com/apply.html#w2014

======
e1ven
One thing to note is that the application deadline is 2 days -after- Startup
School.

I went to Startup School last year, and it was an amazing experience.

It can be a great place to meet people, tell them about your startup, and get
real, honest, brutal feedback about what you're doing right or wrong.

If you're on the fence about applying to YC, go to Startup School, and you'll
be convinced and inspired.

If you're already planning on applying, go to Startup School and meet some
other founders- You'll get experience talking to brilliantly smart people who
are great at seeing through marketing speak and BS. Practice explaining to as
many people as you can - It's a great way to make new friends, and will be
good practice for your YC interviews.

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davyjones
I am not sure if I can pitch for a co-founder but here goes:

GitHub for CAD. With 3D printing poised to explode shortly, I am predicting a
need for versioning of CAD models (along with FEM analyses). Current solutions
(PLM/PDM) are very expensive and usually need to be customized. This is a
business that is runs into billions of USD per annum and is ripe for
disruption.

If anyone is interested, please get in touch at dj@pgxplorer.com.

~~~
super-serial
There should be a thread for co-founder pitches.

It should include what type of roles you can do as a founder, which roles your
future co-founder should fulfill, and your location. Also a general
description of your idea, what you've built so far, and your technology stack.

Personally I don't mind working solo on my startup - but if there was a thread
like that I'd post to it to see if someone could complement my skills.

~~~
kitcar
BTW, there is a dedicated site which caters to that need -
[http://founderdating.com/](http://founderdating.com/) (I believe they may
have a fee for new members now though)

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te_chris
So I've just left a startup that I'd spent far too much time on and am looking
to regroup. I'm currently validating a new idea and wanting to take all the
shit I've learned and really make something work.

One thing I've learned is that anything that allows focus is good (i.e. YC) so
I'm casting my eye towards SF and Startmate in Sydney. The problem is I'm
based in New Zealand so it's hard to try and meet anyone involved beforehand
and work out more about the program than what people say on here. Has anyone
got any tips for reaching out to people involved with YC from a distance? I'm
assuming PG's inbox is flooded, but I just want to discuss the program with
someone who's got experience with or is involved with it in some way so I can
form a better idea of it in my head and work out better prepare myself should
I actually fluke and get in. Thanks :)

~~~
agibsonccc
Look for someone who does something close to what you're doing. Make your
email concise and questions pointed. You'd be surprised who you can email and
get answers from.

It's worked for me a number of times. YC founders are fairly nice people.

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Kurtz79
I assume the experiment of considering people applying without a startup idea
has not been successful.

What has been your experience with it ?

~~~
pg
We didn't accept many no-idea applications, and on average those groups have
done worse than regular applications.

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diminish
YC RFSs look somehow a bit old as of today, especially "build things on
twitter". I'm curious what #7 was? See
[http://ycombinator.com/rfs.html](http://ycombinator.com/rfs.html)

~~~
itafroma
RFS #7's page is still there, just not linked:
[http://ycombinator.com/rfs7.html](http://ycombinator.com/rfs7.html)

> RFS 7: Applications of Facebook Instant Personalization

> This RFS is no longer active, because we're not sure what Facebook is doing
> with Instant Personalization

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ajju
If you are applying to YC and need advice, help on the application, or just
want to chat online or at Startup school, email me. aj at instantcab dot com.
I was rejected from the first YC batch, started up anyway, got to ramen
profitability and was accepted for W12. So I can give a perspective from both
sides of the fence :)

~~~
Smirnoff
Did you participate in YC though? I don't see your main page (as well as blog)
mentioning YC at all.

~~~
ajju
Yes we did, we should market it more huh?

[http://m.techcrunch.com/2013/03/15/instantcab/](http://m.techcrunch.com/2013/03/15/instantcab/)

[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/InstantCab](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/InstantCab)

[http://blog.ycombinator.com/instantcab-yc-w12-launches-in-
sa...](http://blog.ycombinator.com/instantcab-yc-w12-launches-in-san-
francisco-offers-more-drivers-lower-fare-prices-than-uber-sidecar)

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misac1986
We're a startup that just won the global demo day of AngelHack last week, and
we're currently searching for a co-founder/CTO. FOSUBO (FOrget the SUggestions
BOx), our start-up, allows customers to individually review employees.
T-Mobile is already using our service in 7 stores, and we are planning on
applying to YC for this round.

If you are interested in connecting with us about this opportunity, please
email me at misa [at] fosubo [dot] com. To find out more about us, please
visit fosubo.com and to find out more about me (CEO) visit
[http://www.linkedin.com/in/misachien](http://www.linkedin.com/in/misachien)

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6thSigma
If we apply early, should we update the application with feature changes to
our prototype until the last date? Or do you guys not care too much about
prototype updates at this stage?

~~~
fudged71
We were wondering the same thing.

A YC partner wrote on Quora that it's best to wait until later in the
application process rather than describing a half-imagined idea.

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eshvk
I am very intrigued by #1. Especially because I feel like the only one company
out there that is redefining Journalism in the way pg talks about is the NYT.
This is a space that I would love to get into (love to write, have math/stats
skills). Does anyone other companies working on this side of things?

#1 [http://ycombinator.com/rfs1.html](http://ycombinator.com/rfs1.html)

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abracar
There are no details in the FAQ about the $80k YC VC note, when do selected
companies get it? Is it automatic?

~~~
pg
They get it as soon as they finish the paperwork. It's automatic if companies
incorporate in the US. (I believe there may have been some companies that
chose to remain Canadian and thus didn't take the YCVC money, but I'm not
sure.)

~~~
hornbaker
pg, will accepted non-profits get that, too? (Guessing not.)

~~~
pg
No, but we may eventually manage to organize an equivalent thing for
nonprofits.

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akshxy
Pg, Our 4-month-old startup is incorporated in California. I've heard that
most Y Combinator startups are incorporated in Delaware. Is it necessary to
reincorporate in Delaware if selected for the W2014 program? Thanks!

~~~
redtexture
Various VCs have indicated in multiple blogs that the state of incorporation
is not significant.

Having an out of state incorporation is a pain in the neck, and expensive,
especially for people without much money. Don't bother. If the time arrives
where Delaware incorporation becomes important, it is easy enough to merge
into a new Delaware corporation at that time.

The main VC advice, and YCombinator advice is that the LLC -- Limited
Liability Companies -- are not a suitable vehicle for VC investment.

~~~
akshxy
Understood!

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ballard
As much as I want the kill hollywood rfs to take off, two startups themes come
to mind:

    
    
      - aws/opsource for medical research (medical will only get bigger)
      - privacy-as-a-services

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stfnfontana
Quante sono le probabilita che qualcuno, tra cui PG, inserira questo testo nel
traduttore, ricordera il mio nome, e dara lieve maggiore positiva attenzione
alla mia application? :)

~~~
pg
Minimale.

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kyro
>The people in your group are what matter most to us. We look for brains,
motivation, and a _sense of design._

Is that last bit new, pg? And what do you mean by it?

~~~
pg
No, that's been there for years, maybe since the beginning. We're looking for
people who are not merely good at building things, but who can decide what to
build.

~~~
simonebrunozzi
Paul, I've read Hackers and Painters, and you can't imagine how HAPPY I am
that you've been in Florence, and have been influenced by what you saw there.

I love, love the fact that (at least in words) there is a care for beauty, for
design.

I am a geek and a hacker at heart, but I also love when something is crafted
beautifully.

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bicknergseng
500px...

