
Applications for YC W19 Are Open - hkhanna
https://blog.ycombinator.com/applications-for-yc-w19-are-open/
======
hamhamed
I've been applying to YC since 2013 (so this is going to be around our 10th
time), although with different companies and cofounders. I've never gotten
accepted, though we've made it to the interviews twice but never made it to
the finish line to actually get in. Here's what I learned that could mean
something:

1: Every time we got an interview we asked for recommendations. Last time we
got a straight up email rejection when we decided it was probably a bad idea
to ask again our network for a recommendation for the third time. If anything
our startup was doing better than the last time we applied so I'm not sure how
their process works.

2: We recycled our 1 min video and we got an interview. So if you're too lazy
to make a new one, I guess it's fine

3: We'll apply for the 10th time sometime this weekend, and probably for the
11th.. fuck it.

~~~
lettergram
I too have been applying for some time 8th application (2014 at least)...

I've been interviewed twice, had recommendations, helped a few YC companies
and worked with a few YC companies.

The fact is, it appears YC's goal is to put fuel on the fire. You have to have
something people want, or you have to be onto something they think people
want. In addition, you are their product, so you have to be something people
want as well.

They didn't accept you and your startup failed (different founders, companies,
etc.) means they were probably right - likely not far enough along. I too have
had my set of failures and each time they were right to reject me. Each time
it's improved my business and although I haven't shifted businesses completely
(and I'm sticking to my long-term 2-year plan). I believe I'm on the right
track now and will apply again. Because as you said, "fuck it." The real trick
is not really needing YC in the first place to succeed and that's when you'll
be accepted.

One thing that's different for me now, is although I'm a solo founder, I have
experience, a team of seasoned entrepreneurs advising me, some income.

I always tap my network, and I'll buy them all lunch, dinner, coffee or beer
if I can. I also return the favor where I can. I intro startups to other
founders or companies I know wherever possible. I assume, that we'll all pay
each other back eventually, and I know I've brought in large contracts from my
introductions - so I assume they've been happy to review my application.

Reach out and I'll be happy to review your application. Perhaps one day, you
can return the favor as well :)

~~~
dustingetz
Demo day is the point of YC because it flips the tables and makes VCs compete
for startups, as i understand it. YC is a good fit if you are positioning for
a seed round. The best advice I ever got is that YC is just another VC
underneath a bunch of hacker branding. You're either raising or building, you
can't do both at once, so if you're not ready to raise, why talk to YC?

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chuhnk
I think I applied 4 times for [https://micro.mu](https://micro.mu) in some
form or another. The first time was just an idea. The next an open source
project. The next sponsored by a large corporate. The next used by dozens of
large reputable companies. I don't bother applying anymore but it's
interesting to see the progress in all that time.

I know I'll succeed. I don't need YC for that. But I'm sure things would be
different if I did have their help.

~~~
ganeshkrishnan
you have 4.6k stars on github! Well done.

Is your service something that turns a normal application into API exposed
services? I have been looking for something like that for a long time to
expose some of my internal java applications as external API

Sorry if this is a silly question

~~~
chuhnk
The toolkit includes an API gateway which would allow you to serve public
facing http and direct requests to internal services that may speak a
different protocol such as RPC. It's highly flexible and pluggable.

~~~
ganeshkrishnan
Awesome. This is kind of what I was looking for. I will give it a shot!

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gatsby
I’m a YC founder from the S15 batch and worked as an early employee at another
company from W12.

Happy to review your application or answer any questions from a founder
perspective.

Email is in profile.

~~~
meetneps
Hey there, I am another startup founder for this deployment application for
php and other tech stack like python, java. No scripting required. Just signup
and start using.

Also others can give feedback of the app too. [http://grandappstudio.com/roll-
out?utm_source=news_yc](http://grandappstudio.com/roll-out?utm_source=news_yc)

I am giving completely free for the first project for first 100 signups.
Please make the best use of this opportunity too.

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asperous
The misconceptions page is interesting i.e. almost all companies were
incorporated, half had revenue, almost half had recommendations from alumni
and almost half were responding to an RFS.

~~~
ganeshkrishnan
By itself they are true. But they most likely look at the trailing years for
revenue. We had zero revenue at conception and got interviewed but 2 years
later our revenues was around $5k per month and we didn't even make the
initial cut.

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ptero
I heard YC made / considered to make moving to SV full time optional. Coming
for 1-2 days per week could be acceptable. Is this true or did I make it up?

~~~
adora
Founders should be where their customers are, so if your customers aren't in
SV, then you probably should be elsewhere. We work with with each team to
figure out what the ideal arrangement should be.

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mitko
I am going to apply, but currently looking for a cofounder[1] after my
previous cofounder left. Is it advisable to wait until I've recruited a new
cofounder to submit the application?

[1] - [https://angel.co/imersme/jobs/386205-co-
founder](https://angel.co/imersme/jobs/386205-co-founder) details about co-
founder position (sf bay area) if anyone is interested. Reach me at "me" at my
website (in profile) or reply here.

~~~
snowmaker
I'd probably wait until the application deadline, but if you don't have a new
cofounder by then, I'd just submit with what you have.

It's true we're a little less likely to accept single founders, but it's only
one of many factors and the probability delta not that large. Particularly if
you are a technical founder, which I see you are.

~~~
mitko
Thank you, snowmaker, for the advice!

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taytus
I'm going to apply again. It will be my 8th time. But this will be my first
time applying with a co-founder, live product and paying customers. If you are
a YC alumn, would love to ping you so you can check out our application. Thank
you and good luck everyone!!

Ninja Edit... We are looking for a
cofounder:[https://angel.co/roboamp/jobs/331401-cofounder](https://angel.co/roboamp/jobs/331401-cofounder)

------
ArtWomb
YC Bio Application idea: The Artificial Human Womb

Prompted by two considerations. Surrogacy centers throughout Indian and
Southeast Asia are shuttering as legal regulation catches up with a grey
market that often lures young unskilled women with promises of life-changing
compensation. Only to deliver much less upon delivery of a newborn infant for
adoption. Demand among infertile and / or non-traditional first world families
for reproductive solutions creates a window of opportunity for innovation and
investment. Public perception is evolving. After all, even thirty years ago so
called "test tube babies" once condemned by church doctrine, are now seen as a
miracle technology.

The other belongs more to the realm of sci-fi or speculation. In the event of
a mass depopulation event. Either human-made or environmental. It may become
essential to rapidly re-populate the earth. Or off-planet colony. Beginning an
artificial womb project today, may yield the fruits necessary a generation or
two down the road.

To be clear, this is an artificial womb for gestating humans. We don't wish to
begin with Mus and work our way up. Funding (ask $1M) would be used primarily
to attract the team and begin feasibility study and simulation toward a goal
of version one prototype.

~~~
snowmaker
I do think this is an interesting idea.

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msaharia
How different is the YC non-profit application from the usual route? Do they
look for an existing established product or bet on new ones like the company
route?

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cmontella
FYI there is a typo in the application:

"Do you generate direct program revenue or does it comes from donors? If both,
what's the split?"

comes -> come

------
thehodge
Did we ever get an update on the online YC batch?

~~~
ganeshkrishnan
I am part of the first startup school by YC. I think it's just few of us
survivors left.

My company aihello.com is doing good although AI in production environment is
extremely hard. Took us more than a year to just get "good enough" results.

~~~
ENadyr
My company was in the Startup School also. We were accepted into YC when we
applied after finishing the Startup School (applied twice before, no
interview). Interestingly I know other founders from Startup School that were
at the demo day as investors!

~~~
ganeshkrishnan
What's your startup?

~~~
ENadyr
Plexus, high-performance haptic gloves for AR and VR

------
nojvek
It’s always fun to read the original Dropbox YC application. So well thought
out and written.

[http://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-y-combinator-
applicat...](http://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-y-combinator-application-
from-2007-by-drew-houston-2013-9)

Are there any founders from recent batches than can still vouch whether YC is
still worth it?

With insane SF rent prices, one has to burn a big chunk of that 120k in 3
months by just trying to stay alive.

Add that to the fact that YC batches are pretty big right now. Do you get much
in return other than the YC bragging rights?

Would love to learn about the experiences of existing/past founders.

~~~
wtvanhest
YC is located in south bay which is expensive, but not much different than
many other cities in the US. If comparing to a suburb it will not be cheap,
but there are no VCs in suburbs.

An extra few $k in rent is not going to make a difference in the longrun.

~~~
chrift
I think that depends on whether those extra few $k mean the difference between
needing to move back home and staying out in SF

