

I want to apply to YC funding competition, but I'm not a techie. Any advice? - mista

Hi All,
I just reviewed the YC funding application for Summer 2011. I can answer all the questions thoroughly, except the obvious ones relating to my previous experience with programming/startups/IT projects. I have no experience, I just have ideas and an insane work ethic to make things happen.<p>I know ideas alone are worthless. Everyone has ideas. But, right now all my close peers/family are advising me to get involved in Startups, because I've been generating great ideas regularly only to do a Google search and find them already funded and being implemented. This has happened at least 7 times in the past year, with unique ideas that have received $1M+ in initial funding.<p>Now I have an amazing new idea that I know will be a big hit. If I don't do it, someone else will very soon.<p>I'm 27, I've been doing medical sales since I graduated college, but I left the corporate world last year primarily to venture out on my own. I have a house, housemates that cover my expenses, and I have savings. I mention this, because I'm not just a daydreamer. I'm a daydreamer with great ideas and successful track record of accomplishments since I was a kid.<p>Every time I read about a Startup's success, I can see myself in that same position. I just need to better understand how I can get involved in the network.<p>Given that I do not know how to program, I am considering outsourcing all of the work to get this website running. It's not my preferred method, but it's better than nothing.<p>If I can get the work outsourced, get the site running, establish a GREAT revenue-producing model, prove the substantial NEED in the WORLD for this service (it's currently being serviced indirectly), then what is the quickest way for me to tap into a network of Angel Investors / VCs that can take this business to the next level?<p>If you were in my position, what would you recommend for a guy like me to get a Startup running and funded?<p>I'll do anything (legally, ethically, morally) to make this work. The world is waiting for this service. I've even seen websites that ALMOST (about 40%) similar to my idea and they've had tremendous success.<p>Please help a newbie out with any advice on taking action and getting in front of the right crowd that will hear out this idea.<p>Thanks for reading.
======
patio11
Candidly speaking, "my family thinks I come up with good ideas" does not
appear high on the list of things I see on resumes of people who build
successful businesses. Most of them have a history of having built stuff. Even
if they cannot themselves build stuff, then they can Jedi mind-trick a builder
into building their stuff and that guy will thank them for the opportunity.

You're good at selling stuff, right? Sell _one person_ the notion that this is
the project that is going to change their life for the better. Have that guy
build it.

You're not nearly done at that point, but one guy who has actually built
things plus one guy who has the magic snake charmer reality distortion field
thing down is a powerful combination. Besides, after you have a prototype, its
Achievement Unlocked: Not A Bozo, and then you can sell, sell, sell to
customers/investors to your heart's content.

~~~
mista
I agree 100% that "my family thinks I come up with good ideas" is a very weak
statement. It's by no means the basis for my pursuits but, I don't have
friends in the IT-field so I discuss my ideas to my friends/family instead.
And they are a TOUGH sale. In fact, as a rule of thumb, I go to them only b/c
I know they'll give me EVERY reason why my ideas won't work. And I give my
rebuttals on why it will work and I win. :)

Right now I'm working on an online microbiz that will promise to deliver
traffic to small businesses locally (with scalable potential). The entire web
development is being outsourced and should be ready by April 1st. It's my
first "online venture", but it's not innovative. I'm just replicating a
successful business model and using it to do a few things: 1) Generate income
independently 2) Learn more about outsourcing projects 3) Get my 'foot in the
door' in the online business world 4) Use this to gain some recognition
amongst like-minded peers so I can expand my network.

I just had a new housemate move in and as luck would have it, he's a Java
Developer with a masters in comp sci. He's only been here for a month, but I
know he's a great guy and I plan to discuss this idea with him for possible
teamwork in implementing it.

You're right that I should develop the prototype then be concerned about the
sales pitch/growth after wards. I realize it, but it helps to hear it from
others.

Thanks.

~~~
Jcasc
Team up with that new housemate of yours. Make him your CTO, get a prototype
up and running.

Pick up a book or do some online tutorials in whatever the prototype is built
in... Learn HTML & CSS - very easy to learn.

You're going to have a million more ideas in your lifetime you will regard as
amazing and life changing, trust me. Use this one to get your feet wet. Start
doing.

------
malandrew
If your idea involves any significant amount of programming at all, start
learning to program now, even if it's not realistic that the code you produce
make it into the final product.

By all means apply to YCombinator. The chances for you are much lower (since
you don't program and afaict you are a single founder), but you can always
apply again in future rounds.

I'm applying this round myself and have basically taught myself to program
over the last 6 months. I have about ~6500 lines of code written so far and
the technical co-founder that joined me says that it's on par with code he has
seen from people working 4-5 years in the market.

If you are smart, clever, capable and determined, there is no reason that you
can't achieve the same by the time the next class comes around. If you are
serious about learning to program, look around on HN and if you need any
specific advice, feel free to ping me.

What you don't want to do is end up asking this same question again in 6
months time.

Even if you were to really impress the YCombinator partners and get an
interview and pass the interview, you will still need to recruit technical
talent. Being able to program even as an amateur can only help.

------
rabble
Learn to code. Even if you aren't able to code well enough to build your own
thing, if you have not built an application and launched it, you will never be
able to manage a team to do it. Much less be able to do with with an outsource
provider.

Why not apply to development companies as a programming intern. Explain you're
a business guy, teaching yourself coding, you know you'll never be great, but
you need to learn.

At my consulting company, we've got a guy who is quitting his job at a VC and
working as an intern with us for three months. We do pair programming, so
he'll rotate through projects and be on the development team. We won't bill
him out to clients obviously. Our developers get to learn about his business
experience, and he learns how to code, and probably run a development team.

I tell clients who have an idea and have never built a website to go get a job
at a startup. If you're a not a developer, don't do a startup without having
worked in one.

------
StatusStalker
Become a techie. You don't have to be a programmer to be a techie, just stay
up to date with tech news. YCombinator wants the companies in their incubators
to employ a wide range of techies so I don't think you should be looking to
YCombinator for funding.

Also just having a "good idea" isn't enough anymore. Venture Forums see
hundreds if not thousands of business plans a year and spend about 30 seconds
looking over 95% of them.

It is also difficult to find an god outsourced coder, not to say that they
aren't out there, it is just really difficult to weed out the bad one's.

Do you have an executive summary? I would start by sending out the executive
summary to local Venture Forums in your area and gauge their reactions.
Angelsoft.net is a good place to submit your business proposal to. You can
only submit to 3 companies at a time though so chose wisely.

------
DevX101
Is your idea medical related? I was in that world on the sales/strategy end
for a few years. I'm applying today at YC for a non-medical related startup,
that I programmed.

If you want to bounce around some thoughts, shoot me an email.

~~~
mista
Mine is also non-medical. I'll email you as well, but I'll post a question
here b/c maybe others may be interested: How did you go from sales/strategy to
programming?

~~~
DevX101
Well you can't start a biotech in your garage. I was more passionate about
creating SOMETHING than I was tied to any particular field.

With that, I cracked open a few books and started coding.

------
ig1
Feel free to ping me if you want someone to look over your idea (don't if it's
in any of these spaces which I'm involved in: recruitment, marketing
analytics, advertising)

