
Tell YC: Summer 08 decisions out - raghus
got a no :(
======
martythemaniak
Got invited for an interview! :)

This was actually my third time applying to YC. First time I applied (last
summer) the application and idea were pretty crappy, so we never came close.
We had a slightly better application during the winter round and almost got an
interview.

I guess the third time was the charm. This is great news of course, but it
only increases your chances - the real test will be at the interview.

~~~
fallentimes
Congrats Marty! Just curious - how do you know that you almost got an
interview during the winter round?

~~~
martythemaniak
Thanks everyone.

The second time around I thought we had a pretty good application and they
emailed me back asking some extra questions, so unlike the first time around I
was a bit surprised and pretty disappointed. I emailed them back and they told
me we almost made it, but others were doing similar things and were further
along. Turns out, what were trying to do was quite similar to Heroku, who had
already been funded, but were still in private beta at that time.

I think what helped this time around is that we have (IMO) a decent and
somewhat newish idea, combined with a working, if early, version of the app.

But we'll see what happens...

------
schaaf
When I was visiting Harvard one time before undergraduate college
applications, my tour guide mentioned something that stuck with me -- that
after a round of auditions for the highly selective a capella groups on
campus, the students that were passed over for all the existing groups decided
to band together and form a new group. And that that group ended up training
more seriously and later that year came in first in some a capella
competition.

There's a lot of potential value floating around HN.

Perhaps an informal BarCombinator of sorts could be formed?

(incidentally, we made it past this round, but...)

Whois Server Version 2.0

Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many
different competing registrars. Go to <http://www.internic.net> for detailed
information.

No match for "BARCOMBINATOR.COM".

( Let the domain race begin? )

~~~
wheels
I've just created a LinkedIn group for Hacker News (unrelated to this thread,
but reading it reminded me I was planning on creating it). I'll post the
details here and in a new article when it's live. I've also added my LinkedIn
profile to my HC profile.

~~~
rms
There is already a group with 150 members here:

[http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3...](http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&groupFilter=3426)

Does that link for people? I can't figure out a better way to link to it, it
is called "Y Combinator News Group"

>The groups directory is not currently open. We are working on creating a
searchable directory for all groups. If there are groups you wish to join, you
may click on the group logo from the profile of a group member and request to
join.

Looks like LinkedIn groups are mostly broken. So this is my profile, you can
join the group if you click the group link in my profile.
[http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605...](http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605&trk=tab_pro)

~~~
wheels
Hmm, yeah, this seems pretty b0rked. Ok, I'll see if I can dig something up a
little more useful.

------
xenoterracide
no also.

'grats to those that got accepted.

Given I couldn't find a co-founder (and I'm aware my own programming
experience is limited) I didn't really expect to win. Will apply stronger next
time.

But I'm not giving up on my project. I may just take my time with it as
opposed to investing all energy in it. I have so many things I want to do and
learn.

This will allow the end product to be better than it would be if I hammered it
sloppily into existance.

I might even come up with something better in the mean time.

------
danielha
Congrats to everyone that got an interview! Get a prototype/demo working and
be impressive. Y Combinator is life changing -- good luck. :)

For those not participating, you can still join a growing YC startup. Disqus
is actively growing the team: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=158091>

------
icey
Some advice to people who got a no:

I've never applied at YC, but I've got a couple of failed startups under my
belt. If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from
someone whose opinion you trust. If you disagree, then use it as fuel to work
hard - as hard as you can; and show everyone else that when you were down on
your luck you put your nose to the grindstone and made it happen anyways.

That being said, this isn't a win or lose sort of scenario; remember that it's
a two way street. YC has certain types of companies or founders that they like
to invest in; every investor does.

Take a few days for introspection, decide if _you_ believe in what you're
doing. If you do, then keep on slogging.

If you got in, then congrats... Start working on taking notes, because I hear
you get an amazing amount of information from being a part of YC... even the
face-to-face interview portions.

~~~
keating
> _If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from someone
> whose opinion you trust._

I honestly think they are just too pressed for time to do a thorough review.
Applicants can check their web logs and see if YC even looked at their stuff.
Submitting early is probably a major advantage if it means they (YC) actually
have time to take a gander at what you did.

~~~
xenoterracide
May I ask where the web logs I should look at are? (I see comments and submit
logs)

I agree with you otherwise though. I think submitting the day before was...
not a mistake... but I found YC a week before the deadline and spend the time
working up an application and looking for a co-founder.

~~~
pius
_May I ask where the web logs I should look at are?_

I think he's saying that you can check the logs of your own server.

~~~
xenoterracide
ah... seems like yc had a note about checking something here for
comments/questions. I thought he was referring to that.

~~~
keating
If they have... had a question it would show up at the top of the page on this
site.

------
msg
The classic, the best thing to read about rejection. It's by Teresa Nielsen
Hayden, an editor at Tor (also a moderator at Boing Boing now). The context is
science fiction publishing, but the feelings are all the same. And it's a good
laugh. <http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html>

For instance, some of the "didn't peruse my website" stuff starts to sound
familiar:

"But let’s assume the author’s right, and the reader didn’t get all the way
through the submitted material. Is that a fair evaluation? When we’re
publishing books that readers are going to glance at, briefly browse, then
either buy or put back on the shelf, you bet it’s a fair evaluation. Again,
when you think about this with your reader-mind instead of your writer-mind,
it all comes much clearer."

~~~
wallflower
"SOME THOUGHTS ON WRITING" (Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the #1 NYTimes
Bestseller Memoir, Eat Pray Love)
[<http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm>]

"Your job is only to write your heart out, and let destiny take care of the
rest."

"I have a friend who’s an Italian filmmaker of great artistic sensibility.
After years of struggling to get his films made, he sent an anguished letter
to his hero, the brilliant (and perhaps half-insane) German filmmaker Werner
Herzog. My friend complained about how difficult it is these days to be an
independent filmmaker, how hard it is to find government arts grants, how the
audiences have all been ruined by Hollywood and how the world has lost its
taste…etc, etc. Herzog wrote back a personal letter to my friend that
essentially ran along these lines: “Quit your complaining. It’s not the
world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to
enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay
for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but
stop whining and get back to work.” I repeat those words back to myself
whenever I start to feel resentful, entitled, competitive or unappreciated
with regard to my writing: “It’s not the world’s fault that you want to be an
artist…now get back to work.” Always, at the end of the day, the important
thing is only and always that: Get back to work. This is a path for the
courageous and the faithful. You must find another reason to work, other than
the desire for success or recognition. It must come from another place."

------
edgeztv
Yeah, unfortunately most of us here were turned down and most of those who got
interviews will be turned down as well. That's just how the numbers are.

The more interesting question is how many of you expected to be turned down
but applied anyway? I suspect a lot. It's funny that this round their
application had a boolean question asking whether you were a single founder,
non-technical group, full time jobs, etc. I even half joked to a friend that
YC has an automated filter that queues up your rejection letter if the answer
is "yes".

This time around I did not expect to get funded, as I don't have a co-founder
yet. Funny thing is, this time I also believe in my idea much more strongly
than both times I applied in the past (with co-founders) and got invited to an
interview. I guess that's why I still went for it.

------
ericb
Don't be discouraged. I'm 100% sure my idea is rock solid, I've executed
successfully before AND I have a cofounder, but I was turned down. You don't
have a good startup-tale without getting turned down a few times. I think of
it like this:

me: Would you like to make some money with me YC?

YC: No thanks, we have plenty.

~~~
keating
> _I'm 100% sure my idea is rock solid, I've executed successfully before AND
> I have a cofounder, but I was turned down._

Send them a letter rejecting their rejection letter and show up anyhow. From
gettingintogradschool.com:

    
    
        Thank for your letter of April 9. After careful consideration, I regret to 
        inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me admission 
        to our department.
    
        This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large
        number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of 
        candidates it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.
    
        Despite W.M.U.'s outstanding qualifications and previous experience in 
        rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at 
        this time. Therefore, I will join the ranks of graduate students in your 
        department this September. I look forward to seeing you then.
    
        Sincerely,

~~~
ebukys
Haha, brilliant! The problem is, you need at least one person (someone who has
deciding power) to be impressed enough with your pure stubborn flippancy to
let you in even after having been rejected.

~~~
keating
If anyone actually went through with it I'd like their chances. If you have
that kind of chutzpah why stop there? Hit up every other VC/Angel in the area
and something will stick.

------
alaskamiller
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=68598>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=113610>

~~~
attack
[http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...](http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/persistence.jpg)

[http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...](http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/stupidity.jpg)

[http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...](http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/potential.jpg)

[http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...](http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/losing.jpg)

[http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...](http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/adversity.jpg)

~~~
xenoterracide
although I think the pics are funny. I think they are also trolling. Modding
you down.

~~~
attack
Need not get petty. Share the laughs.

------
lux
No for us too. But hey, to be honest I thought I'd be disappointed but I'm
totally relieved because at least now we can plan our summer, and we'll be
launching soon enough anyway!

We had a huge design meeting today going over how all our user/accounts
management stuff should look, then we relaxed with some amazing Thai food, and
we're totally pumped moving forward in any case.

I thought the letter they sent was really nice too. If we're not too far along
by winter session, we'll certainly apply again :)

------
CRASCH
Sorry to hear about the majority which all got a no. Keep your chins up and
your hopes alive.

I would not worry about it. It might be time for a reality check though.

Step back and take a look at your idea. Does it have legs. Is it something
that people want. Can you monetize it. Don't take your own opinion seriously,
ask people if they would use it and see ads or pay for it. If you can't find
anyone who would, come up with another idea.

Figure out what it would take to get to the next step. If the answer is a
boatload of money or a team of people then it may be time to come up with
another idea that has a lower bar to clear. If the answer is a couple of
months of working nights for the founders go for it.

One more thing. I've been lurking here for awhile and I see the passion and
desire to make things happen here all the time. It motivates me to work harder
and make it happen for my project. I think this small community is a great
virtual community. We can all use it to push each other to succeed. I know I
am. I wonder how many YC rejects will succeed? I'm guessing a lot more than
normal.

I couldn't apply with my reality. I'm too old. I need too much money. I can't
move. etc...

But it does not matter. I will finish my project and I will release it and see
if it has legs.

I can't wait to see more new products announced here by the YC rejects. I'll
keep lurking...

------
dcurtis
Do the decision letters for accepted groups ask them not to post that they
were accepted? It seems like, after every funding cycle, no one admits they
were accepted in these after-threads.

~~~
bfioca
I'm not sure, but there's a few reasons not to post if you got accepted:

    
    
      1) just getting picked to go to the interview really only gives you like a 1 in 3 or so chance of getting in to YC.
    
      2) the news of getting accepted into YC is pretty
         noteworthy and shouldn't be squandered - 
        it's useful for PR purposes when you launch your product.  
        If you blow the news too early, you miss out on a 
        potential PR-based influx of users from TechCrunch for
        example.
    

Congrats to those who were picked to go to the interview!

~~~
xenoterracide
yeah and think of "I got interviewed".... back from the interview. "didn't get
accepted..."

------
aschobel
Just got the "rejection" letter, I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't get the
team reviewing the proposals as passionate about the project as I am. I think
being a solo founder hurt me, but I've been working on the project full-time
for four months (over 12k lines of code). This won't slow me down. =)

What is your company going to make?

We make it easy to jot something down from any device and then share that note
with your friends or colleagues to have a discussion.

We are building a web version and apps for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry.

Sample use: You are at a restaurant and like a bottle of wine. You whip out
your phone and snap a picture. Now that picture is part of your notes which
you can access from anywhere. One more click and the note is shared on your
Facebook News Feed so you can have a threaded discussion with your friends.

3banana: your notes are social <http://3banana.com>

~~~
xenoterracide
I am working on building an online pencil and paper rpg play system. It would
support a character database, dice rollers, major P&P systems, the usual
forums, npc character search, all sort's of toy's for players/ST's,GM's,DM's,
and a chat system. And eventually support for a subscription service for the
books. Much like O'Reilly's Safari.

~~~
carterschonwald
thats pretty cool. One project I'm working on is designing a much of tools for
algorithmically determining when either a game design or a map for a game is
"fair", for various notions of fair.

------
Readmore
I also got a no.

It's actually what I was expecting my app is nearly done already
www.embought.com and I'm a single founder.

Congrats to everyone that made it. Looking forward to reading the interview
recap blogs.

~~~
fallentimes
Readmore I think your application is a good idea. Have you considered letting
people choose their own charity instead of the preselected ones you have
listed?

Or even better, people could choose their own cause (whether it's a charity,
fundraising event, boyscouts, girlscouts etc etc) and could encourage friends,
family and acquaintances to use the site to raise money for their cause.

~~~
Readmore
Thanks!

I've thought along those same lines, and I'm hoping to make that an option in
the future. Currently I'm not confident that I can track everything well
enough to attribute purchases to an individual user. I didn't want to say a
user could pick their own charity and then not actually be able to donate the
money for them.

As I get traffic I'm hoping to find a way to pull that off.

~~~
fallentimes
Maybe you could set something similar to what ebates.com has done? Each user
has an individual login and everytime they go to an affiliate site they are
provided with a tracking ticket. It's a really cool system and I've made over
a few hundred dollars with them related to business trips for my "real job".
If your site ever starts marketing towards fundraising groups, a user could be
asked to enter a simple identifier code to tell the system that all proceeds
should be directed to XX cause OR the group could be provided their own sign
up link which automatically associates the user with XX cause.

~~~
Readmore
That sounds like a great system, thanks. I'll take a look at ebates.com and
see what I can find.

~~~
fallentimes
Readmore, definitely send me an email if you incorporate any new elements:
danhaubert [at.....] gmail (dot) com

------
lpgauth
I'm planning on applying next summer when I'm done my CS degree and have a bit
more experience under my belt, but I would love to know what are usually the
reasons of rejections?

As for now I'm looking for a cofounder and a great idea, but I would love to
improve on possible weaknesses I have that are import to the eyes of YC.

~~~
xenoterracide
what's wrong with the idea you applied with?

------
dood
No for me too. I'm a little annoyed at myself for applying at the last minute.
My plan was to solve some key technical issues before applying next cycle, but
I changed my mind and applied without thinking it through. Maybe spending more
time properly presentating my concept would have made all the difference... on
the other hand maybe it wouldn't.

My idea is fairly wacky, and may need to be seen to be believed, so back to
plan A: solving problems and building the alpha!

------
trey
I got a no as well and my feeling is that the entire process is pointless for
an applicant without any feedback. I'm not bitter about being rejected, but
going into this I expected at least some amount of commentary, and not 5 hits
on my site and a form rejection letter. Maybe I should have tapered my
expectations or the website should have been more clear about saying that if
we don't pick you, you won't hear anything from us.

~~~
LukeG
Trey, my friend -

Learn to love rejection, to thrive off of it. when people say no - or, even
worse, give lukewarm support - they're saying they don't get it. Only one
thing for you to do: prove it. Keep hearing no, keep moving on, keep building,
keep getting stronger, keep doing what you do. Pain is good, pain makes you
stronger. This - this industry/community/dream/passion/life - will never be
easy. It's going to hurt and suck and make you want to quit (or die), so be
ready to cry and bleed. Yeah, learn to take a punch - but that sure won't be
enough. You need to learn to love it.

This isn't about them, the naysayers and the unbelievers. This is about you
and your conviction to build something great and lasting. Every NO is more
than a test; every NO is a challenge. So what are you going to do about it?

------
ebukys
No as well, but frankly I expected it (as my idea really has very little
programming in it). For a form letter, the email they sent was pretty well
written. I feel more challenged after reading it, and fully plan on making
some serious money and turning around and sending them an email of how
successful I was, and what exactly they missed out on.

Cheers!

(and congrats to those who were accepted)

------
nextmoveone
I didnt apply this time around, but...

You have to realize that while Hacker News may be a community, Y Combinator is
actually business. Businesses tend to strive to efficient processes.

Applying to Y Combinator is like applying to any other competition, so don't
take the lack of direct feedback personally. If you got a rejection letter, it
didn't state things like "You didn't pursue enough extracurricular activities,
plus the grammar in your essay was horrible".

I think that what people that werent accepted should do is become a part of
this community. Because while you may not get feedback from your application,
we will give that feedback, we will give you that support when you are down,
we will be the first users of your website, heck we may even be your first
competitors.

So, dont drop your idea or stop coming here because you werent accepted or
didnt get feedback. It's not personal. Really.

Good Luck!

------
lux
Forgot to add a big congratulations to those who got accepted for interviews!
See you guys at the top! ;)

------
ecarder
I’m passion about our application and will continue to work on it. YC
challenge helped us to make it faster, but we started to do it before we found
out about YC (4 months ago). Continue to do what you do! Thanks to YC

------
mrtron
I was once again not accepted.

I really wasn't expecting to get in this time, but it really can be a big hit
on the ego seeing all these people getting in and not being on the list.
However, it shouldn't deter me - I will continue on fighting the good fight.
Best of luck to the other applicants.

My idea is great, and I have just starting working on it. I will keep you guys
updated, hopefully release before demo day, and with some luck nobody will
notice I wasn't in this round.

------
volida
congratulations whether you got a no or a yes, you just made another step of a
very long walk with many paths to choose from, before reaching where you
dream.

------
hendler
Got a no.

Hoping for some personalized feedback, some intel. When you are first starting
out, generally that's the most important thing - since even if you get a
"yes", what your going to get besides $5k+$5kN is lots of community and
feedback. Cash can be burned through, especially that little. I mean, McAffee
has a Stadium and computers still get viruses. But the truth, well, that's a
bit more persistent.

------
rantfoil
@raghus -- Make it happen anyway. Use the no for good.

~~~
admoin
For real. Although YC is certainly a great judge of talent and predictor of
success, they aren't the be all and end all, and are forced to rely on a lot
of proxies/indicators in making their decisions. Give it a go yourself!

------
jamespitts
@raghus - we just got a no as well.

Life deals out a lot of set-backs, but each one contains some very useful
information (ideally examined in the rear-view mirror). Despite being
rejected, I do think that the self-reflection involved in applying to ycomb
was worth it.

Well, back to building stuff!

------
bwah
We got a no as well. Probably could have spent more time editing/polishing our
application but sometimes time gets away from you. Would have loved to get
more feedback, though I am sure there were far too many applicants for that.

Good luck to all who are interviewing.

------
babulmiah
Good enterprises is not to give up when you fall. Keep trying and I am sure
you will succeed!

------
ameilij
I was rejected, but to be honest, I didn't expect too much. My project is in
Panama and is in Spanish, so my chances were low to begin with. But I was
happy just to get a chance to participate and a great forum to bounce ideas.

Good luck to all the projects!

------
jfornear
It would have been nice to get more feedback. It's pretty discouraging when
they tell you that they invited more applicants for interviews than ever
before, and you get a generic rejection email instead.

Congrats to those who made the cut though.

~~~
webwright
regarding feedback, consider how many applicants they get and how many people
they have to go thru apps (Paul, Jessica, Trevor, I think). 10 minutes of
thoughtful feedback times 1000 or so (I'm guessing) rejected folks.... 10,000
minutes of feedback. If you want feedback, crowdsource it and post it here.
You'll get plenty.

~~~
jfornear
I understand that, but I also don't think it would be too complicated for them
to just jot their thoughts/comments down as they are going through the apps
and have those included in your email, but it isn't a big deal. I'm just
disappointed.

~~~
dkokelley
I think a good deal of the applications may have to be overlooked (filtered
out by app questions) so there might not be any notes, other than something
like "doesn't have a co-founder."

~~~
xenoterracide
even that would be nice. although I think many of us are assuming that. But
you know what they say about ass u me-ing things.

------
astine
Congratulations to everyone who made an interview and I wish you the best of
luck.

I didn't get rejected because I didn't apply this round, but I will next
round. Hopefully it will turn out well for me as well.

------
izaidi
No as well. I'm a single founder and my app's pretty much done already so it
wasn't much of a surprise. Looking forward to hearing about some of the ideas
they accepted.

------
dkasper
So, anyone got a yes?

------
ubudesign
it's funny they miss spelled one of our founders email. The domain was la-
fem.com instead they send it to la.anybots.com

I wonder why

~~~
keating
Anybots is Trevor Blackwell's company.

Wild guess: the parsing barfed at the hyphen in name@la-fem.com and sent it to
name@la -- and the email system will fill in the local domain name if you
don't use a FQDN. They sent it through anybots.com's mail system so it got
filled in as la.anybots.com

------
drockwell
Hmm... haven't gotten my response yet

~~~
drockwell
No for us as well... good luck to all who made it.

------
utnick
what was your idea?

~~~
ericb
Good question, but how about "is" instead of "was." The world always gives you
a few thumps to the chest to make sure you really mean it before you succeed.

------
ajkirwin
I also got a no, but that's okay. I don't think the infrastructure is in place
for mine yet, anyway.

Maybe in a little while! :D

