

Getting into YC as a single, non-technical founder - hamiltonchan
http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/29/getting-into-y-combinator-as-a-single-non-technical-founder/

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nsxwolf
How to get into YC as a single, non-technical founder, in 4 easy steps:

1\. Graduate from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude are pluses)

2\. Work at JP Morgan as an investment banker

3\. Graduate from Harvard Law School

4\. Work at a major law firm

So easy, _anyone_ can do it!

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lazyjones
Congratulations. But I'd like to see a follow-up in 1-2 years for all those
recent "how we got into YC" boasting posts, detailing how successful the
products ended up being. ;-)

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fitandfunction
Hamilton is a great guy and I think the thinking behind his acceptance to YC
is pretty clear ... "Let's give him a chance. He's succeeded at everything
else he's ever done in life."

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pitt1980
so is have multiple Harvard degrees the answer to how to get into YC as a
single non technical founder?

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Jd
Nope, it is to have multiple Harvard degrees, worked at top law firm, run a
company, been featured in a magazine article, and already built a product that
has paying customers.

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pitt1980
so how helpful is an article that says the real key is to just generally be
awesome at everything?

True or false, the people who get into havard are the people who don't need to
go to harvard?

the people who get into YC, are the people who don't need YC?

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fitandfunction
It helps to set expectations.

Getting into YC as two MIT undergrads who've been coding since kindergarten is
very hard.

Getting in a solo business founder is much harder.

So, if you don't have a track record of doing _incredible_ stuff, you should
a) calibrate your expectations, and b) start doing _incredible_ stuff (and
apply later)

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pitt1980
I think the better take is to not treat YC as the gatekeeper to your success,

1\. Its hard to get into

2\. tons of great companies have been started that didn't go through YC (in
fact with a few exceptions almost all of them)

3\. its a great opportunity, but most of the companies that get into YC, don't
amount to jack

just getting in doesn't mean you've made it, and there is no reason you can't
make if you don't

calculus is similar to what I'd tell a high school kid about going to Harvard,
if you happen to get to go cool, its a great opportunity, but you shouldn't
treat that as the gatekeeper to your success

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mckilljoy
'In my opinion, the most important question on the Y Combinator application,
is this one: “Please tell us about the time you most successfully hacked some
(non-computer) system to your advantage.”'

Not a criticism per se, but pg recently said that is actually one of their
LEAST ("not in the top 10") important questions.

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gibybo
I don't think it's quite that simple. Here's some other things Paul Graham has
said about that question:

"There's one question that acts like a wildcard, at least for me: [the
question] ... We're looking for people who like to beat the system. So if the
answer to this question is good enough, it will make me go back and take a
second look at an application that otherwise seemed unpromising. In fact, I
think there are people we've invited to interviews mainly on the strength of
their answer to this question."

From <http://ycombinator.com/howtoapply.html> July '09

"Sam Altman of Loopt is one of the most successful alumni, so we asked him
what question we could put on the Y Combinator application that would help us
discover more people like him. He said to ask about a time when they'd hacked
something to their advantage—hacked in the sense of beating the system, not
breaking into computers. It has become one of the questions we pay most
attention to when judging applications."

From <http://www.paulgraham.com/founders.html> Oct 10

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loceng
Actually not that hard of a question to answer if you know how to stretch the
term 'hack' to mean various things..

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omnisci
Great article! While I have some technical background, I'm not a coder and I'm
also a single founder applicant. From his comments, it seems that YC wants
what everyone who is passionate about their career wants in a teammate. Drive.

I work in a neuroscience lab and I've trained a lot of undergrads, lab techs
and grad students. From a state school to IVY league schools I continue to see
the same thing. Drive, ambition, and motivation are way more important than
technical knowledge. This is a winning combination of traits that always works
as the people who have those traits can typically pick up anything you throw
at them. My best students have been those with OK GPAs but and a serious
competitive nature to them.

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pewpewlasergun
So hackernews doesn't have PM's. If you don't mind letting me pick your brain
a bit about startups/research/neuroscience, shoot me an email at
cantsayimpleased@gmail.com (or put your email in your profile).

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plinkplonk
If Hamilton is reading this. Do you (or did you) actually work 130 hour weeks
as said in the article? I'm trying to imagine this, and my mind boggles. I
just read this article out to a friend and he's seriously depressed now :P

What do you think is the major contributory factor to your achievements?
extreme IQ? work ethic? some unique insight about the world that you leverage?

Thanks in advance,

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blueprint
Just remember: outsourcing your tech development is usually not a good idea
except if you have the funds and need it to secure more funds to build the
real thing.

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daybowbow
Really insightful article, thanks Hamilton!

