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Some things you should probably figure out for yourself: - What's stopping you from pursuing your idea now? - Will you continue to pursue it if turned down at

Some things you should probably figure out for yourself: - What's stopping you from pursuing your idea now? - Will you continue to pursue it if turned down at YC? - Can taking the internship help you pursue your idea later (e.g by making connections)? - How well connected are people at the group where you would be an intern? - How much competition was there in the internship program? If you decide not to go will the company have a reasonable chance to get another good candidate? Declining an offer is not quite the same as quitting, but you should still act professionally. Imagine being in the position of the company and think about how someone could decline your offer in a way that wouldn't upset you. If you do decline, try to find a way to occasionally stay in touch with the people you would have worked with if they are the kind of people you would want to know in the future.

bkrausz 19y ago
Great questions! They may have been rhetorical but I have already considered them, so I figured a reply is warranted: I do intend to pursue my idea, but I feel the connections and, more importantly, the full-time workload of doing it through YC would be very beneficial (there's a lot to be said for coding all day and then coming home to code all night...I think we can all agree that 8 hours of coding, especially if it isn't interesting, can be pretty draining). I've heard amazing things about the YC connections, and while I'm sure the company in question does have very good connections, I feel they probably pale in comparison to YC. I will be working on the idea either way, but I am a strong believer in the idea that one is much more likely to succeed if there is the pressure of it being your primary focus and goal (I believe PG said this in an essay, though I don't recall which one), thus my need to decide between YC and moonlighting.
- bayareaguy 19y ago
  One semi-rhetorical question I forgot before: which of your choices has the greater opportunity cost? Is your idea something that offers significant first-mover advantage, or is it something that you'll still have a good market for even if other companies are already doing it by the time you ramp up?

bkrausz 19y ago

Great questions! They may have been rhetorical but I have already considered them, so I figured a reply is warranted: I do intend to pursue my idea, but I feel the connections and, more importantly, the full-time workload of doing it through YC would be very beneficial (there's a lot to be said for coding all day and then coming home to code all night...I think we can all agree that 8 hours of coding, especially if it isn't interesting, can be pretty draining). I've heard amazing things about the YC connections, and while I'm sure the company in question does have very good connections, I feel they probably pale in comparison to YC. I will be working on the idea either way, but I am a strong believer in the idea that one is much more likely to succeed if there is the pressure of it being your primary focus and goal (I believe PG said this in an essay, though I don't recall which one), thus my need to decide between YC and moonlighting.

bayareaguy 19y ago
One semi-rhetorical question I forgot before: which of your choices has the greater opportunity cost? Is your idea something that offers significant first-mover advantage, or is it something that you'll still have a good market for even if other companies are already doing it by the time you ramp up?