On: Grouper Sets You Up With Three Facebook Strangers, But ‘It’s Not a Date’

[huhtenberg]

Forget the triple date part, look at this -

  We applied to YC with paperbuff.com. In the 36 hours before   
  our interview, we ditched paperbuff and built qomments.com, 
  were rejected, then decided to build a product people would 
  actually want

I am sorry, but this is ridiculous. This is not only a waste of everyone's time in YC, but it also takes away an opportunity from other people who could have pitched in their place. There is really nothing "LOL" about it.

[rokhayakebe → huhtenberg]

I believe these are exactly the type of people YC wants. A couple of friends know they want to start something. They do not know what. Instead of brainstorming over beers, they toy with concepts between redbulls. One mvp catches on. Proves profitable. They stick with it.

[amirmc → huhtenberg]

pg's said many times that they primarily look at the people rather than the idea. It probably wasn't (just) paperbuff that got them to the interview stage. Just sayin.

[huhtenberg → amirmc]

Well, it doesn't matter. Do you think it makes much sense to invest in people who decide to pitch an idea that is not even 2 days old? Or rather - in people who think it's acceptable to do that? Hm.

[djb_hackernews → huhtenberg]

Didn't the reddit team get accepted without an idea? I mean, in your terms their idea hadn't even be thought of yet.

It's about the people, not the idea.

[adamtmca → djb_hackernews]

SMS food ordering, iirc.

[alexro → huhtenberg]

I don't disagree with you, I just think that YC is all about young energetic people willing to put the effort in, so pitching a 2 days old idea with passion is kind of showing off some energy !

[snprbob86 → huhtenberg]

I went through TechStars Seattle last year and now have the privilege of watching the 2011 class from up close, since my company has remained in the same co-working space.

Everyone says that ideas are bullshit, but there isn't anything much like watching the evolution of your own idea and that of nine of groups of peers. But, it wasn't really until this year, watching ten budding companies from the outside, that it became so hilariously apparent that no first time entrepreneur has any fucking clue what they are doing.

I've overheard some of the companies pitch half a dozen ideas in a single afternoon. At least one or two of these wildly off course teams are the ones who are showing promise of discovering deep insight into their respective markets. For some teams, bouncing around is simply part of the process.

[dools → huhtenberg]

The Greplin dude scrapped his idea something like 3 days before DEMO DAY, let alone the interview.

[pbiggar → huhtenberg]

> "but it also takes away an opportunity from other people who could have pitched in their place."

You don't have a right to a YC interview.

[dools → pbiggar]

He didn't say "right" he said "opportunity"

[pbiggar → dools]

OK, but he doesn't have a right to that opportunity, and so shouldn't be complaining about it as if he did.