4 ms·

Ask YC: Is Y Combinator itself a startup?

9 points by mojuba 19y ago

Having said so many things about startups, to what extent is it recursive?

pg 19y ago
We consciously try to operate as much like a startup as we can. Except for Jessica, it's the side of the business world we have the most experience in anyway.
- xirium 19y ago
  Is YC deliberately underfunded?
  - pg 19y ago
    Yes, actually it extends even to that. Part of the reason we're not interested in taking outside investment is that we worry if we had a lot of money it might harm more than help us.
    - ubudesign 19y ago
      it might be a good idea if you guys brought in more people on the business side? that's what developers realy need.
      - deleted 19y ago
        [deleted]
      - pg 19y ago
        Maybe one day. We've thought that one day, if we get big enough, we might get an in-house investment banker to beat on acquirers. Some acquirers' M&A groups are not very nice people. YC founders, who generally are nice people, are sometimes at a disadvantage. It would be handy to have a thug on call that they could send in against the acquirers' thugs.
    - ubudesign 19y ago
      who is giving negative points without even adding their own comments? It was a question/comment and if you realy think about it developers do need people that understand business as well.
      - dcurtis 19y ago
        The awesomeness of YC comes from the fame/experience of the founders. Adding people will dilute the awesomeness, thus lowering the overall success of YC companies... presumably.
        ubudesign 19y ago
        that doesn't even make any sense. if they are awesome then bring in more awesome people. or do you think that too many awesome people would make yc less awesome. "awesome" by the way your word not mine.
      - DaniFong 19y ago
        The prevailing wisdom around these parts is that, while hackers do need someone with business sense to build a business well, hackers are basically smart enough to acquire said experience. Having both the skill to build something and the wisdom to know what to build in the mind of a single person is much stronger than having 'business people' and 'developers'. Also, YC is less concerned with developers in general; they pretty much have the pick of a self selected lot that's already pretty entrepreneurial, so adding a business person to the mix doesn't really tend to help all that much.
        ubudesign 19y ago
        "the wisdom to know what to build in the mind of a single person is much stronger than having 'business people" I completely agree. Infact I am a single person and can deal with both parts. But this idea is in conflict with what YC has said: "We're reluctant to accept one-person companies, though we have funded a couple." my comment was from my perspective not a vc. Of course when I put efforts on the business side of things I feel I am as effective as doing the development. But as someone looking at a VC as an option instead of self funding, I think that I could reduce my efforts on the business side and do more on development. The original comment was "we worry if we had a lot of money..." my question/comment was if more money is bad then offer more expertise.
jraines 19y ago
Please forward that question to the Department of Questions, where it will be reviewed by the Answer Board as part of the Quarterly Question/Answer Reconciliation Meeting. Your question record # is 176849847

9 points by mojuba 19y ago

Having said so many things about startups, to what extent is it recursive?

pg 19y ago

We consciously try to operate as much like a startup as we can. Except for Jessica, it's the side of the business world we have the most experience in anyway.

xirium 19y ago
Is YC deliberately underfunded?
- pg 19y ago
  Yes, actually it extends even to that. Part of the reason we're not interested in taking outside investment is that we worry if we had a lot of money it might harm more than help us.
  - ubudesign 19y ago
    it might be a good idea if you guys brought in more people on the business side? that's what developers realy need.
    - deleted 19y ago
      [deleted]
    - pg 19y ago
      Maybe one day. We've thought that one day, if we get big enough, we might get an in-house investment banker to beat on acquirers. Some acquirers' M&A groups are not very nice people. YC founders, who generally are nice people, are sometimes at a disadvantage. It would be handy to have a thug on call that they could send in against the acquirers' thugs.
  - ubudesign 19y ago
    who is giving negative points without even adding their own comments? It was a question/comment and if you realy think about it developers do need people that understand business as well.
    - dcurtis 19y ago
      The awesomeness of YC comes from the fame/experience of the founders. Adding people will dilute the awesomeness, thus lowering the overall success of YC companies... presumably.
      - ubudesign 19y ago
        that doesn't even make any sense. if they are awesome then bring in more awesome people. or do you think that too many awesome people would make yc less awesome. "awesome" by the way your word not mine.
    - DaniFong 19y ago
      The prevailing wisdom around these parts is that, while hackers do need someone with business sense to build a business well, hackers are basically smart enough to acquire said experience. Having both the skill to build something and the wisdom to know what to build in the mind of a single person is much stronger than having 'business people' and 'developers'. Also, YC is less concerned with developers in general; they pretty much have the pick of a self selected lot that's already pretty entrepreneurial, so adding a business person to the mix doesn't really tend to help all that much.
      - ubudesign 19y ago
        "the wisdom to know what to build in the mind of a single person is much stronger than having 'business people" I completely agree. Infact I am a single person and can deal with both parts. But this idea is in conflict with what YC has said: "We're reluctant to accept one-person companies, though we have funded a couple." my comment was from my perspective not a vc. Of course when I put efforts on the business side of things I feel I am as effective as doing the development. But as someone looking at a VC as an option instead of self funding, I think that I could reduce my efforts on the business side and do more on development. The original comment was "we worry if we had a lot of money..." my question/comment was if more money is bad then offer more expertise.

jraines 19y ago

Please forward that question to the Department of Questions, where it will be reviewed by the Answer Board as part of the Quarterly Question/Answer Reconciliation Meeting. Your question record # is 176849847