

Getting in to YC - zt
http://blog.zactownsend.com/getting-in-to-yc

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soneca
Interesting reading for someone that just applied to YC a few minutes ago.

That confirms to me that saying of PG that goes something like this "95% of
the applications have no chance at all to get in and there is 5% that have
really good chances", in oposition to thinking that everyone has the same,
tiny chance of getting in.

That haunts me. I sure ain't not in the 5% with really good chances - solo
founder, not a developer, not working on a hot startup, not sold my own
startup. But I like to think I am not in the 95% either - I am smart, I make
things happen, I create things, people believe in my success, I really
consider myself relentlessly resourceful, even if good code is not among these
resources yet. What haunts me is that maybe this later part is only wishful
thinking.

~~~
johnrob
Build a version 1. If you can't do that, go convince a prospective customer to
give you a check in advance. Either of these will greatly increase your odds.
If you can't do either, why would anyone invest?

~~~
soneca
I built a prototype myself, as I am learning to code. But that wasn't good
enough to offer to a customer, so I outsource it. Now I am working with a
freelance developer on it, hoping we work well together so one day he can be
my co-founder.

Before that I already sold it to two clients, but sounded strange to me "ask
the check" in advance. They agreeded to pay for it, but didn't pay yet. But
now that is built, I will deliver, and if they aprove, they will pay.

Not the perfect answers to your advices, but I thinks it is good enough.

~~~
meowface
>Now I am working with a freelance developer on it, hoping we work well
together so one day he can be my co-founder.

Not to be all doom and gloom, but one of pg's top advice points is that each
co-founder should be someone you already know (and are hopefully at least
acquaintances with, preferably friends with) before the startup is put down on
paper. Building a startup from scratch is hard, and you need to do it with
someone you're comfortable spending a ton of time with. All the co-founders
need to be on the same wavelength and need to communicate well and frequently.

I don't know your circumstances, or where you found said freelance developer,
but seeking out someone just to help develop some of the ideas you have is
usually not the way to go to make a company. To make one product, perhaps, but
probably not a company.

~~~
soneca
Well, there is one thing I am sure. There is no one between my friends or
acquaintances that could be a co-founder. Trust me, I've been looking for a
long time.

So what do i do? Don't build a company? No, i hire a good frelancer, see if it
works out fine. Then i offer a fulltime job, hopefully with the revenue of the
startup. If this turma out fine, then he becomes a co-founder and CTO.

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mirsadm
So I've applied a couple of times and didn't get in. Since then I've actually
taken a bunch of time off from startups, work etc. One thing that's been made
clear is that the startups I was involved in at the time wouldn't have
succeeded even if we did get into YC. My co-founder was not the right person
and we were doomed to fail from the start.

I am back into creating a start up with a cofounder that works perfectly with
me. We use to work together a long time ago and everything just feels a lot
easier/right this time round. We also have enough funding for a year to get
this business to be self sustainable.

I'd like to think our chances of getting into YC are very high now but we
won't be applying. I guess my point is that for everyone that applies and
doesn't get in, don't worry about it and don't change your plans! If you are
with the right person and have solid evidence that your business has
potential, then whether you are in YC or not won't change things.

There is a steep learning curve to this whole startup thing and it seems to me
that everyone is required to make a lot of the same mistakes until something
just clicks in your brain. I can't guarantee that my current startup will be a
success but the chances are ridiculously higher than ever before.

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thehme
Very interesting blog post. It definitely leaves a seed in mind about the
potential opportunity of a creating a startup and allows one to contemplate
the fact that everyone is nervous at first and it's ok.

~~~
outericky
Breaking news. Everyone is nervous for a long while. Not just at first. But it
is OK. No regrets. You have to put it out there and try.

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eruss
I hope people don't read this and get a sense that this is acceptable behavior
from someone working for a startup. Huge Kudos for stripe for putting up with
you.

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gms
So how are you different from Dwolla? Is it that you provide an API, while
they provide an application?

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6thSigma
Cool story. You should have given it a link bait title though - "I rejected YC
twice... and still got in"

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Deelux
Cool story to read. Always fun to see what kind of projects get in.

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larrys
"When you’re waiting to interview at YC they have some alumni there to chat
with you. To calm you down."

Off topic and at the risk of offending anyone this reminds me of what Playboy
used to be known to do with women who came for photoshoots for the first time.
The women were incredibly nervous and legend has it that other alumni
playmates would always be around to make them feel comfortable and at home.

