

How To Get Into Y Combinator - konsl
http://christophergolda.com/y-combinator-interview

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maxklein
How to get into YC:

* Be young, about to finish college, or just finished college and working on your startup

* Go to a name-brand school like MIT

* Done some open source project that may or may not be popular

* Done something a bit impressive

* Be able to write very good english

* Be U.S based

* Have a co-founder from a similar background as yours, and who you've known for a while

* Do something that sounds simple

* Build a personal brand here on this site

* In the video, be comfortable and project intelligence

That will get you to interview, assuming there are not more impressive people.
When you interview:

* Don't give off a loser vibe

* Have a determined jaw and a friendly personality

* Communicate clearly what you want to build

* Make what you want to build something that in some way is in one of the major areas where there is potential (like money management or so)

* Be sure your idea is something the partners can relate to (i.e, not building huts in africa)

Yes, no need to point out the exceptions, I'm well aware.

~~~
chris100
_Have a co-founder from a similar background as yours, and who you've known
for a while_

While your message is quite tongue-in-cheek, there is some truth to it and I
wanted to follow-up on this comment.

From anecdotal experience, it seems that YC favors a team of technical
founders. Whereas in a blog post today on VentureHacks, the authors recommend
the tech/business pair.

So which is better? Two techies, or a slick biz plus a techie?

~~~
wheels
There is no right answer. Startup advice seems to only make sense in
aggregate: you collect all of the opinions and try to map those to your
situation.

~~~
maxklein
By the way, I've been wanting to make a prediction on your success, since I've
been following your work with interest for a while: I think you will be
successful, but not in the sense that YC or investors want from you. I just
don't see you breaking out of the lifestyle-business loop. I believe that your
technology will be your undoing - it will become so attractive to some outside
entity that you will get swallowed up by them. I'm not sure if the technology
- as-is - will be that valuable, but I'm assuming that you will iterate and
adapt to the changing landscape. There is going to be demand for what you are
creating - not for such trivial things as recommendations, but simply as data
processing tools. There is going to be too much data, and the people who can
structure it in whatever niche, will make good money.

The real question is this : will you guys be able to see the money when it
comes? I, being an outsider, would not, but sometimes you can be so much of an
insider that you don't see it either. You both seem pretty focused, and that's
the big problem I see.

The final problem I see is this: you care about people liking you. I have the
feeling pg likes you like he used to like sama. But the difference is that
sama is ruthless and focused on making money - would you ever be able to? Can
you bite the hand that fed you for the sake of the money?

Your recommendations system is small business and you will change it at some
point. The new thing you build will be more interesting, I think.

That's my prediction! Let's see how many years I have to wait!

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alain94040
And just in case you don't get accepted to YC:
[http://blog.fairsoftware.net/2009/04/07/you-didnt-make-it-
to...](http://blog.fairsoftware.net/2009/04/07/you-didnt-make-it-to-y-
combinator-or-techstars-now-what/)

I'm just saying, because it's interview season and we already had at least 4
posts on the topic of how to get accepted... If everyone who read these posts
got accepted, the YC building would have to add quite a few floors.

Good entrepreneurs are resilient, even in the face of early rejection.

~~~
konsl
If you don't know what to do if you aren't accepted, you shouldn't be applying
in the first place.

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BRadmin
Is the link to your twitter purposefully crossed out to entice more clicks?
Genius...

~~~
konsl
It's a (lame) joke, but who knows, maybe it will result in greater than 12.81%
clickthrough :)

<http://dustincurtis.com/you_should_follow_me_on_twitter.html>

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CSunday
lol, thanks...I definetly needed this!

I will be back, STRONGER THAN EVER!!!

