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Ask HN: Anyone else feeling that applying to YC is like gambling

2 points by d--b 10y ago

I have applied to YC a couple of times, and I found that I have a strange relationship with the application process. It's as if I absolutely knew that there was no way I could get in (solo founder, super early stage, don't manage to explain the product I'm building clearly). But for some reason, I try it anyway. And then on the day of the invite, I still know there's no way I can get in, but somehow still hope I might. When my wife asked me why I was excited while I knew that I was not going to cut it, it hit me: it's like buying a lottery ticket: you know you're not winning, but you get excited by the draw anyway. Now that I realized this, I am starting to wonder if I am just drawn to the startup idea like a card player to a poker table. It kind of frightens me. Anyone else feeling the same? How can I keep a cool head and making sound decision if I behave like a gambler?

bike4beer 10y ago
Long ago ( say 1980's ) nobody needed YC, you just did it, maybe read a book, whatever. The reason then & now is same reason a ever, to be your own boss. That's a good enough reason to have your own company. On that note lets talk about 'your own company', back in the day VC meant 'vulture capitalist', which meant they helped you, and they ended up owning your company and not you. Go alone, do it all yourself 100%, self-fund, we used to call it boot-strap, good news is when its all over you own 100%, and you can cash-out and retire at 30 or whatever and do as you wish the rest of your life. ... YC is much of a club, if you bother to study most real entrepreneurs very few belonged to clubs and or go to meetings, for the simple reason they didn't have time or inclination. Besides the meat of YC is all on youtube you can watch the videos. Sure you make contacts but every city has a entrepreneur or start-up club, but the people you meet are mostly people selling a service. Create a product or be a consultant and pay others to develop your product, market it yourself, and grow; YC is very specific about what it looks for in entry, and the notion that you must live on site is very troubling, too much like a cult IMHO. Most great entrepreneurs 'just did it', and didn't waste their time in meetings, or networking.
brudgers 10y ago
I suspect that for some people putting in an application to any highly selective process can produce an 'I cannot believe I am doing this' adrenaline high. Similar 'high stakes' applications have for me. The risk of rejection is a real risk and the rewards of acceptance are Lego for daydreams. I'm not compulsive about it. If I think I might get something out of the application process, and sometimes I have, then I measure that against the effort required and the distraction involved. I also recognize that at times the process of applying to something for which rejection is pretty much certain provides an alternative to the hard work of executing on the thing I am promoting as a great idea...in other words, my level of interest in some project might only be at an abstract 'I will apply to YC' level and not the 'Damn the torpedoes, I am going to make it happen' that's really required. Not sure if that helps or hurts. Good luck.
- d--b 10y ago
  Thanks for your reply. That helps. I'm back to coding in good spirits, so I guess I'll be fine :)

2 points by d--b 10y ago

bike4beer 10y ago

Long ago ( say 1980's ) nobody needed YC, you just did it, maybe read a book, whatever. The reason then & now is same reason a ever, to be your own boss. That's a good enough reason to have your own company. On that note lets talk about 'your own company', back in the day VC meant 'vulture capitalist', which meant they helped you, and they ended up owning your company and not you. Go alone, do it all yourself 100%, self-fund, we used to call it boot-strap, good news is when its all over you own 100%, and you can cash-out and retire at 30 or whatever and do as you wish the rest of your life. ... YC is much of a club, if you bother to study most real entrepreneurs very few belonged to clubs and or go to meetings, for the simple reason they didn't have time or inclination. Besides the meat of YC is all on youtube you can watch the videos. Sure you make contacts but every city has a entrepreneur or start-up club, but the people you meet are mostly people selling a service. Create a product or be a consultant and pay others to develop your product, market it yourself, and grow; YC is very specific about what it looks for in entry, and the notion that you must live on site is very troubling, too much like a cult IMHO. Most great entrepreneurs 'just did it', and didn't waste their time in meetings, or networking.

brudgers 10y ago

I suspect that for some people putting in an application to any highly selective process can produce an 'I cannot believe I am doing this' adrenaline high. Similar 'high stakes' applications have for me. The risk of rejection is a real risk and the rewards of acceptance are Lego for daydreams. I'm not compulsive about it. If I think I might get something out of the application process, and sometimes I have, then I measure that against the effort required and the distraction involved. I also recognize that at times the process of applying to something for which rejection is pretty much certain provides an alternative to the hard work of executing on the thing I am promoting as a great idea...in other words, my level of interest in some project might only be at an abstract 'I will apply to YC' level and not the 'Damn the torpedoes, I am going to make it happen' that's really required. Not sure if that helps or hurts. Good luck.

d--b 10y ago
Thanks for your reply. That helps. I'm back to coding in good spirits, so I guess I'll be fine :)