
Ask YC: We applied to S2020 and nobody looked at our videos? - martin_e
Invites are supposed to go out today.<p>We applied to S2020 with a COVID-19 hardware startup a while back.<p>Our videos show zero incremental views since our application was submitted.  Just wondering if this indicates some sort of automated or manual filtering based on the text portion of the application or if you are not done and we can expect to be given a look in the next few days because you are running behind (due to, sadly enough, COVID-19 issues).<p>We have been working non-stop on our project, self funding all of it.  We are prepared to continue even without YC support.  We have formed manufacturing partnerships and have contacted hundreds of potential customers.<p>Just wondering about the YC process.<p>Thanks.<p>EDIT: Just to add to the story...<p>We are moving forward on our own and haven&#x27;t been waiting for investors at all. Our project is likely to end-up in the news by the end of May (hopefully because we booked orders). We were also asked by the White House to submit technology details. So...we are moving forward, which is good.<p>Don&#x27;t ask me what we are doing.  We are going to remain stealth for as long as possible.  Of course, if YC knocks on the door and we accept that will change to the degree necessary.
======
oneearedrabbit
This may be relevant: "Don’t mark it as private or disallow embedding on
YouTube, or we won’t be able to see it. Please note that because of how our
system is built, YouTube’s view count will not increase even though we do
watch your video." [1]

[1] [https://www.ycombinator.com/video/](https://www.ycombinator.com/video/)

~~~
tpetry
How can they watch a video without its view count increasing? I am really
interested.

~~~
duskwuff
Given that they also mention needing embedding to be enabled, I suspect
they're using an inline player on another site. IIRC, only plays on
youtube.com are counted towards video view counts.

~~~
gnicholas
> _IIRC, only plays on youtube.com are counted towards video view counts._

This appears to be untrue. [1, 2] It seems that embed views count, except
possibly where autoplay is enabled (presumably because the video might be
shown when no one is watching).

1: [https://www.alliedpixel.com/2019/09/do-embedded-youtube-
vide...](https://www.alliedpixel.com/2019/09/do-embedded-youtube-videos-add-
to-the-view-count/)

2: [https://boostlikes.com/blog/2014/08/youtube-video-views-
embe...](https://boostlikes.com/blog/2014/08/youtube-video-views-embeds-count)

------
mitchellshow
Someone outside of the startup world asked me "what is YC" and my reply was
"the accelerator that rejects you."

My impression from having applied, and from knowing founders at various stages
(some of whom went through YC, others who were rejected at various stages, one
rejected at interview 5+ times in a row!), is that there is such a high volume
of applications now that the person you get matched with to review yours is a
total shot in the dark. If it isn't someone who "gets" your industry, you'll
kind of just be thrown to the back of their pile. There is a lot of
serendipity to who advances. I have heard some insiders complain that their
recommendations aren't really taken seriously.

YC was the only accelerator who rejected us. We did a different one (at a true
"idea stage") and it went great. Make sure to apply to others like Techstars,
Capital Factory, Masschallenge, Betaworks, Boost VC, the list goes on. If it's
a numbers game now, then whether you get picked for any particular accelerator
is probably more a function of the total number of applications to that
accelerator than anything else.

If you're super early stage, I'd recommend trying to find out if there are any
accelerators sponsored by your local government, they tend to have way less
applications since they're only pulling from a local pool.

There is probably a value-add to YC besides just money, but there are
literally hundreds of accelerators that have copied the model at this point.
If you really have something, the venture community that YC taps will notice
regardless. It's always better just to take the cash and build IMO.

~~~
martin_e
Good advice, thanks.

> If you're super early stage, I'd recommend trying to find out if there are
> any accelerators sponsored by your local government, they tend to have way
> less applications since they're only pulling from a local pool.

Not sure how to self-characterize. We've probably invested somewhere in the
order of $300K of our own funds in this to get where we are. Keep in mind this
is hardware (+software), which means the monetary scale is very different.

We are at the stage where we are going to start showing our pre-production
prototype to potential customers sometime next month. Frankly, the closer we
get to a sale the less interesting VC money or an incubator becomes. In other
words, if I close a $5MM sale next month (which is in the realm of
possibilities) there is no way anyone is getting 7% of the business for $150K.

> There is probably a value-add to YC besides just money

Definitely. Not interested in money for the sake of money. Money by itself is
useless and easy to waste.

> Someone outside of the startup world asked me "what is YC" and my reply was
> "the accelerator that rejects you."

I don't take that as a negative but rather more as a reality. They get so many
applications it is inevitable that the vast majority of applicants will not be
accepted. That's just reality.

------
codegeek
I read somewhere on yc website that they only look at the video if they find
the application/applicants interesting enough. So there is that.

~~~
martin_e
Yeah, that's what I was referring to when I mentioned filtering based on the
text portion of the application.

That's alright. We are moving forward on our own and haven't been waiting for
investors at all. Our project is likely to end-up in the news by the end of
May (hopefully because we booked orders). We were also asked by the White
House to submit technology details. So...we are moving forward, which is good.

------
100-xyz
We also applied and show 0 views. Will get the boot today by midnight per YC
website. That hasnt stop us from indulging in a little fantasy where Seibel,
Director of YC is offering us an interview :-)

[https://toonclip.com/player?key1=802d8d51ec](https://toonclip.com/player?key1=802d8d51ec)

You can also create your fantasy by forking the above animation.

------
saddington
just some visuals:

[https://i.imgur.com/bzRWC7N.png](https://i.imgur.com/bzRWC7N.png)

shows 9 impressions but no views.

on the video, it shows 8 views (i added one when i checked it):

[https://i.imgur.com/tt73jOn.png](https://i.imgur.com/tt73jOn.png)

so, a lot of the "artificial view count inflation" stuff and embeds might make
sense.

------
ahmedaly
I applied several times and they never did. :)

