4 ms·

Tell YC: Summer 08 decisions out

42 points by raghus 19y ago

got a no :(

rantfoil 19y ago
@raghus -- Make it happen anyway. Use the no for good.
- admoin 19y ago
  For real. Although YC is certainly a great judge of talent and predictor of success, they aren't the be all and end all, and are forced to rely on a lot of proxies/indicators in making their decisions. Give it a go yourself!
- deleted 19y ago
  [deleted]
utnick 19y ago
what was your idea?
- ericb 19y ago
  Good question, but how about "is" instead of "was." The world always gives you a few thumps to the chest to make sure you really mean it before you succeed.
xenoterracide 19y ago
no also. 'grats to those that got accepted. Given I couldn't find a co-founder (and I'm aware my own programming experience is limited) I didn't really expect to win. Will apply stronger next time. But I'm not giving up on my project. I may just take my time with it as opposed to investing all energy in it. I have so many things I want to do and learn. This will allow the end product to be better than it would be if I hammered it sloppily into existance. I might even come up with something better in the mean time.
lux 19y ago
No for us too. But hey, to be honest I thought I'd be disappointed but I'm totally relieved because at least now we can plan our summer, and we'll be launching soon enough anyway! We had a huge design meeting today going over how all our user/accounts management stuff should look, then we relaxed with some amazing Thai food, and we're totally pumped moving forward in any case. I thought the letter they sent was really nice too. If we're not too far along by winter session, we'll certainly apply again :)
lux 19y ago
Forgot to add a big congratulations to those who got accepted for interviews! See you guys at the top! ;)
dcurtis 19y ago
Do the decision letters for accepted groups ask them not to post that they were accepted? It seems like, after every funding cycle, no one admits they were accepted in these after-threads.
- deleted 19y ago
  [deleted]
- bfioca 19y ago
  I'm not sure, but there's a few reasons not to post if you got accepted: 1) just getting picked to go to the interview really only gives you like a 1 in 3 or so chance of getting in to YC. 2) the news of getting accepted into YC is pretty noteworthy and shouldn't be squandered - it's useful for PR purposes when you launch your product. If you blow the news too early, you miss out on a potential PR-based influx of users from TechCrunch for example. Congrats to those who were picked to go to the interview!
  - xenoterracide 19y ago
    yeah and think of "I got interviewed".... back from the interview. "didn't get accepted..."
- rms 19y ago
  I think it more has to do with modesty. It would make me feel bad to exclaim how great it was that I got an interview when so many other people are really sad about getting rejected.
- wheels 19y ago
  It seems generally imprudent to talk publicly about where you're seeking funding, or who is and isn't funding you prior to to it being a done deal.
icey 19y ago
Some advice to people who got a no: I've never applied at YC, but I've got a couple of failed startups under my belt. If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from someone whose opinion you trust. If you disagree, then use it as fuel to work hard - as hard as you can; and show everyone else that when you were down on your luck you put your nose to the grindstone and made it happen anyways. That being said, this isn't a win or lose sort of scenario; remember that it's a two way street. YC has certain types of companies or founders that they like to invest in; every investor does. Take a few days for introspection, decide if you believe in what you're doing. If you do, then keep on slogging. If you got in, then congrats... Start working on taking notes, because I hear you get an amazing amount of information from being a part of YC... even the face-to-face interview portions.
- keating 19y ago
  > If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from someone whose opinion you trust. I honestly think they are just too pressed for time to do a thorough review. Applicants can check their web logs and see if YC even looked at their stuff. Submitting early is probably a major advantage if it means they (YC) actually have time to take a gander at what you did.
  - jfornear 19y ago
    I only received 2 page views from them on April 2nd. I probably shouldn't have waited until the last minute to apply.
  - xenoterracide 19y ago
    May I ask where the web logs I should look at are? (I see comments and submit logs) I agree with you otherwise though. I think submitting the day before was... not a mistake... but I found YC a week before the deadline and spend the time working up an application and looking for a co-founder.
    - pius 19y ago
      May I ask where the web logs I should look at are? I think he's saying that you can check the logs of your own server.
drockwell 19y ago
Hmm... haven't gotten my response yet
- drockwell 19y ago
  No for us as well... good luck to all who made it.
- deleted 19y ago
  [deleted]
jfornear 19y ago
It would have been nice to get more feedback. It's pretty discouraging when they tell you that they invited more applicants for interviews than ever before, and you get a generic rejection email instead. Congrats to those who made the cut though.
- sudeepjuvekar 19y ago
  Got a no as well... I agree that a more feedback would have been helpful to improve our product (or just to know others' opinions about it)...
- webwright 19y ago
  regarding feedback, consider how many applicants they get and how many people they have to go thru apps (Paul, Jessica, Trevor, I think). 10 minutes of thoughtful feedback times 1000 or so (I'm guessing) rejected folks.... 10,000 minutes of feedback. If you want feedback, crowdsource it and post it here. You'll get plenty.
  - jfornear 19y ago
    I understand that, but I also don't think it would be too complicated for them to just jot their thoughts/comments down as they are going through the apps and have those included in your email, but it isn't a big deal. I'm just disappointed.
    - dkokelley 19y ago
      I think a good deal of the applications may have to be overlooked (filtered out by app questions) so there might not be any notes, other than something like "doesn't have a co-founder."
      - xenoterracide 19y ago
        even that would be nice. although I think many of us are assuming that. But you know what they say about ass u me-ing things.
Readmore 19y ago
I also got a no. It's actually what I was expecting my app is nearly done already www.embought.com and I'm a single founder. Congrats to everyone that made it. Looking forward to reading the interview recap blogs.
- fallentimes 19y ago
  Readmore I think your application is a good idea. Have you considered letting people choose their own charity instead of the preselected ones you have listed? Or even better, people could choose their own cause (whether it's a charity, fundraising event, boyscouts, girlscouts etc etc) and could encourage friends, family and acquaintances to use the site to raise money for their cause.
  - Readmore 19y ago
    Thanks! I've thought along those same lines, and I'm hoping to make that an option in the future. Currently I'm not confident that I can track everything well enough to attribute purchases to an individual user. I didn't want to say a user could pick their own charity and then not actually be able to donate the money for them. As I get traffic I'm hoping to find a way to pull that off.
    - fallentimes 19y ago
      Maybe you could set something similar to what ebates.com has done? Each user has an individual login and everytime they go to an affiliate site they are provided with a tracking ticket. It's a really cool system and I've made over a few hundred dollars with them related to business trips for my "real job". If your site ever starts marketing towards fundraising groups, a user could be asked to enter a simple identifier code to tell the system that all proceeds should be directed to XX cause OR the group could be provided their own sign up link which automatically associates the user with XX cause.
      - Readmore 19y ago
        That sounds like a great system, thanks. I'll take a look at ebates.com and see what I can find.
izaidi 19y ago
No as well. I'm a single founder and my app's pretty much done already so it wasn't much of a surprise. Looking forward to hearing about some of the ideas they accepted.
jamespitts 19y ago
@raghus - we just got a no as well. Life deals out a lot of set-backs, but each one contains some very useful information (ideally examined in the rear-view mirror). Despite being rejected, I do think that the self-reflection involved in applying to ycomb was worth it. Well, back to building stuff!
ericb 19y ago
Don't be discouraged. I'm 100% sure my idea is rock solid, I've executed successfully before AND I have a cofounder, but I was turned down. You don't have a good startup-tale without getting turned down a few times. I think of it like this: me: Would you like to make some money with me YC? YC: No thanks, we have plenty.
- dcurtis 19y ago
  Sounds kind of like you're disguising your YC-denial under a veil of "I've done this before, and I'm better than you" type of thinking. Are you sure that's productive? What was your successful execution?
  - pius 19y ago
    I don't think there's anything wrong with positive self-talk. A founder being confident about his or her ability to execute shouldn't make anyone else feel insecure.
    - kirubakaran 19y ago
      Agree with you 100%. We are nothing without confidence that at first seems baseless.
      - izaidi 19y ago
        Yeah, exactly. Fake it 'til you make it.
        kirubakaran 19y ago
        Worked for Caterina :) http://www.caterina.net http://www.caterina.net
      - keating 19y ago
        “All the best things I did at Apple came from (a) not having money and (b) not having done it before, ever. Every single thing that we came out with that was really great, I’d never once done that thing in my life.” -- Woz
edgeztv 19y ago
Yeah, unfortunately most of us here were turned down and most of those who got interviews will be turned down as well. That's just how the numbers are. The more interesting question is how many of you expected to be turned down but applied anyway? I suspect a lot. It's funny that this round their application had a boolean question asking whether you were a single founder, non-technical group, full time jobs, etc. I even half joked to a friend that YC has an automated filter that queues up your rejection letter if the answer is "yes". This time around I did not expect to get funded, as I don't have a co-founder yet. Funny thing is, this time I also believe in my idea much more strongly than both times I applied in the past (with co-founders) and got invited to an interview. I guess that's why I still went for it.
deleted 19y ago
[deleted]
lpgauth 19y ago
I'm planning on applying next summer when I'm done my CS degree and have a bit more experience under my belt, but I would love to know what are usually the reasons of rejections? As for now I'm looking for a cofounder and a great idea, but I would love to improve on possible weaknesses I have that are import to the eyes of YC.
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  what's wrong with the idea you applied with?
ubudesign 19y ago
it's funny they miss spelled one of our founders email. The domain was la-fem.com instead they send it to la.anybots.com I wonder why
- keating 19y ago
  Anybots is Trevor Blackwell's company. Wild guess: the parsing barfed at the hyphen in name@la-fem.com and sent it to name@la -- and the email system will fill in the local domain name if you don't use a FQDN. They sent it through anybots.com's mail system so it got filled in as la.anybots.com
aschobel 19y ago
Just got the "rejection" letter, I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't get the team reviewing the proposals as passionate about the project as I am. I think being a solo founder hurt me, but I've been working on the project full-time for four months (over 12k lines of code). This won't slow me down. =) What is your company going to make? We make it easy to jot something down from any device and then share that note with your friends or colleagues to have a discussion. We are building a web version and apps for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry. Sample use: You are at a restaurant and like a bottle of wine. You whip out your phone and snap a picture. Now that picture is part of your notes which you can access from anywhere. One more click and the note is shared on your Facebook News Feed so you can have a threaded discussion with your friends. 3banana: your notes are social http://3banana.com http://3banana.com
- wumi 19y ago
  the first part sounds a bit like twitter/ letsprovewhere
  - aschobel 19y ago
    Kinda, but this is a very different animal. There are two itches I'm scratching with 3banana. The first is that I want to keep track of small bits of information and make it easy to retrieve them from any device. Right now I email myself notes, which is clunky. The site has full text search and allows you to label your notes. The site also automatically labels stuff like Address/Phone Numbers/etc, so you can query it to give you all the Phone Numbers you jotted down in the last week. The second itch is that sometimes you have an existing note that you want to share. You click one button and the note is shared to Facebook/Twitter/Email/AIM/wherever your social graph is. Your note is now a instant threaded discussion forum. 3banana: your notes are social http://3banana.com http://3banana.com
    - aschobel 19y ago
      In hindsight I probably should have focused a bit more on that aspect in my application. =)
    - 19y ago
volida 19y ago
congratulations whether you got a no or a yes, you just made another step of a very long walk with many paths to choose from, before reaching where you dream.
dood 19y ago
No for me too. I'm a little annoyed at myself for applying at the last minute. My plan was to solve some key technical issues before applying next cycle, but I changed my mind and applied without thinking it through. Maybe spending more time properly presentating my concept would have made all the difference... on the other hand maybe it wouldn't. My idea is fairly wacky, and may need to be seen to be believed, so back to plan A: solving problems and building the alpha!
alaskamiller 19y ago
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=68598 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=68598 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=113610 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=113610
- attack 19y ago
  http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/persistence.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/stupidity.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/potential.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/losing.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/adversity.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...
  - xenoterracide 19y ago
    although I think the pics are funny. I think they are also trolling. Modding you down.
    - attack 19y ago
      Need not get petty. Share the laughs.
  - hooande 19y ago
    funny response, no need to take it personally. I had the "failure" demotivator up in my room for a year
ajkirwin 19y ago
I also got a no, but that's okay. I don't think the infrastructure is in place for mine yet, anyway. Maybe in a little while! :D
schaaf 19y ago
When I was visiting Harvard one time before undergraduate college applications, my tour guide mentioned something that stuck with me -- that after a round of auditions for the highly selective a capella groups on campus, the students that were passed over for all the existing groups decided to band together and form a new group. And that that group ended up training more seriously and later that year came in first in some a capella competition. There's a lot of potential value floating around HN. Perhaps an informal BarCombinator of sorts could be formed? (incidentally, we made it past this round, but...) Whois Server Version 2.0 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net http://www.internic.net for detailed information. No match for "BARCOMBINATOR.COM". ( Let the domain race begin? )
- wheels 19y ago
  I've just created a LinkedIn group for Hacker News (unrelated to this thread, but reading it reminded me I was planning on creating it). I'll post the details here and in a new article when it's live. I've also added my LinkedIn profile to my HC profile.
  - rms 19y ago
    There is already a group with 150 members here: http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&groupFilter=3426 http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&#3... Does that link for people? I can't figure out a better way to link to it, it is called "Y Combinator News Group" >The groups directory is not currently open. We are working on creating a searchable directory for all groups. If there are groups you wish to join, you may click on the group logo from the profile of a group member and request to join. Looks like LinkedIn groups are mostly broken. So this is my profile, you can join the group if you click the group link in my profile. http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605&trk=tab_pro http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605...
    - wheels 19y ago
      Hmm, yeah, this seems pretty b0rked. Ok, I'll see if I can dig something up a little more useful.
trey 19y ago
I got a no as well and my feeling is that the entire process is pointless for an applicant without any feedback. I'm not bitter about being rejected, but going into this I expected at least some amount of commentary, and not 5 hits on my site and a form rejection letter. Maybe I should have tapered my expectations or the website should have been more clear about saying that if we don't pick you, you won't hear anything from us.
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  I do think it is your expectations. I didn't expect more, but it would be nice to have more. try again next time.
- alex_c 19y ago
  Given how many applications they receive, it'd probably be impractical to give feedback to each and every one - but the biggest reason is probably that doing so would open them up to arguing and disagreement from those rejected. I think the value comes from the application form itself. If you didn't feel 100% confident in some of the answers, they might be points for improvement.
- LukeG 19y ago
  Trey, my friend - Learn to love rejection, to thrive off of it. when people say no - or, even worse, give lukewarm support - they're saying they don't get it. Only one thing for you to do: prove it. Keep hearing no, keep moving on, keep building, keep getting stronger, keep doing what you do. Pain is good, pain makes you stronger. This - this industry/community/dream/passion/life - will never be easy. It's going to hurt and suck and make you want to quit (or die), so be ready to cry and bleed. Yeah, learn to take a punch - but that sure won't be enough. You need to learn to love it. This isn't about them, the naysayers and the unbelievers. This is about you and your conviction to build something great and lasting. Every NO is more than a test; every NO is a challenge. So what are you going to do about it?
dkasper 19y ago
So, anyone got a yes?
ebukys 19y ago
No as well, but frankly I expected it (as my idea really has very little programming in it). For a form letter, the email they sent was pretty well written. I feel more challenged after reading it, and fully plan on making some serious money and turning around and sending them an email of how successful I was, and what exactly they missed out on. Cheers! (and congrats to those who were accepted)
martythemaniak 19y ago
Got invited for an interview! :) This was actually my third time applying to YC. First time I applied (last summer) the application and idea were pretty crappy, so we never came close. We had a slightly better application during the winter round and almost got an interview. I guess the third time was the charm. This is great news of course, but it only increases your chances - the real test will be at the interview.
- fallentimes 19y ago
  Congrats Marty! Just curious - how do you know that you almost got an interview during the winter round?
  - martythemaniak 19y ago
    Thanks everyone. The second time around I thought we had a pretty good application and they emailed me back asking some extra questions, so unlike the first time around I was a bit surprised and pretty disappointed. I emailed them back and they told me we almost made it, but others were doing similar things and were further along. Turns out, what were trying to do was quite similar to Heroku, who had already been funded, but were still in private beta at that time. I think what helped this time around is that we have (IMO) a decent and somewhat newish idea, combined with a working, if early, version of the app. But we'll see what happens...
- ericb 19y ago
  congrats!
- aschobel 19y ago
  Congrats! Good luck with the interview.
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  just show's everyone that just because you fail with the first application doesn't mean you should quit. Out of curiosity what was the first crappy idea?
- 19y ago
bwah 19y ago
We got a no as well. Probably could have spent more time editing/polishing our application but sometimes time gets away from you. Would have loved to get more feedback, though I am sure there were far too many applicants for that. Good luck to all who are interviewing.
lgcale 19y ago
How will you know that you got rejected? Do they send you a letter of rejection?
msg 19y ago
The classic, the best thing to read about rejection. It's by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, an editor at Tor (also a moderator at Boing Boing now). The context is science fiction publishing, but the feelings are all the same. And it's a good laugh. http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html For instance, some of the "didn't peruse my website" stuff starts to sound familiar: "But let’s assume the author’s right, and the reader didn’t get all the way through the submitted material. Is that a fair evaluation? When we’re publishing books that readers are going to glance at, briefly browse, then either buy or put back on the shelf, you bet it’s a fair evaluation. Again, when you think about this with your reader-mind instead of your writer-mind, it all comes much clearer."
- wallflower 19y ago
  "SOME THOUGHTS ON WRITING" (Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the #1 NYTimes Bestseller Memoir, Eat Pray Love) [http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm] "Your job is only to write your heart out, and let destiny take care of the rest." "I have a friend who’s an Italian filmmaker of great artistic sensibility. After years of struggling to get his films made, he sent an anguished letter to his hero, the brilliant (and perhaps half-insane) German filmmaker Werner Herzog. My friend complained about how difficult it is these days to be an independent filmmaker, how hard it is to find government arts grants, how the audiences have all been ruined by Hollywood and how the world has lost its taste…etc, etc. Herzog wrote back a personal letter to my friend that essentially ran along these lines: “Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but stop whining and get back to work.” I repeat those words back to myself whenever I start to feel resentful, entitled, competitive or unappreciated with regard to my writing: “It’s not the world’s fault that you want to be an artist…now get back to work.” Always, at the end of the day, the important thing is only and always that: Get back to work. This is a path for the courageous and the faithful. You must find another reason to work, other than the desire for success or recognition. It must come from another place."
astine 19y ago
Congratulations to everyone who made an interview and I wish you the best of luck. I didn't get rejected because I didn't apply this round, but I will next round. Hopefully it will turn out well for me as well.
ecarder 19y ago
I’m passion about our application and will continue to work on it. YC challenge helped us to make it faster, but we started to do it before we found out about YC (4 months ago). Continue to do what you do! Thanks to YC
danielha 19y ago
Congrats to everyone that got an interview! Get a prototype/demo working and be impressive. Y Combinator is life changing -- good luck. :) For those not participating, you can still join a growing YC startup. Disqus is actively growing the team: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=158091 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=158091
babulmiah 19y ago
Good enterprises is not to give up when you fall. Keep trying and I am sure you will succeed!
CRASCH 19y ago
Sorry to hear about the majority which all got a no. Keep your chins up and your hopes alive. I would not worry about it. It might be time for a reality check though. Step back and take a look at your idea. Does it have legs. Is it something that people want. Can you monetize it. Don't take your own opinion seriously, ask people if they would use it and see ads or pay for it. If you can't find anyone who would, come up with another idea. Figure out what it would take to get to the next step. If the answer is a boatload of money or a team of people then it may be time to come up with another idea that has a lower bar to clear. If the answer is a couple of months of working nights for the founders go for it. One more thing. I've been lurking here for awhile and I see the passion and desire to make things happen here all the time. It motivates me to work harder and make it happen for my project. I think this small community is a great virtual community. We can all use it to push each other to succeed. I know I am. I wonder how many YC rejects will succeed? I'm guessing a lot more than normal. I couldn't apply with my reality. I'm too old. I need too much money. I can't move. etc... But it does not matter. I will finish my project and I will release it and see if it has legs. I can't wait to see more new products announced here by the YC rejects. I'll keep lurking...
deleted 19y ago
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hendler 19y ago
Got a no. Hoping for some personalized feedback, some intel. When you are first starting out, generally that's the most important thing - since even if you get a "yes", what your going to get besides $5k+$5kN is lots of community and feedback. Cash can be burned through, especially that little. I mean, McAffee has a Stadium and computers still get viruses. But the truth, well, that's a bit more persistent.
nextmoveone 19y ago
I didnt apply this time around, but... You have to realize that while Hacker News may be a community, Y Combinator is actually business. Businesses tend to strive to efficient processes. Applying to Y Combinator is like applying to any other competition, so don't take the lack of direct feedback personally. If you got a rejection letter, it didn't state things like "You didn't pursue enough extracurricular activities, plus the grammar in your essay was horrible". I think that what people that werent accepted should do is become a part of this community. Because while you may not get feedback from your application, we will give that feedback, we will give you that support when you are down, we will be the first users of your website, heck we may even be your first competitors. So, dont drop your idea or stop coming here because you werent accepted or didnt get feedback. It's not personal. Really. Good Luck!
mrtron 19y ago
I was once again not accepted. I really wasn't expecting to get in this time, but it really can be a big hit on the ego seeing all these people getting in and not being on the list. However, it shouldn't deter me - I will continue on fighting the good fight. Best of luck to the other applicants. My idea is great, and I have just starting working on it. I will keep you guys updated, hopefully release before demo day, and with some luck nobody will notice I wasn't in this round.
ameilij 19y ago
I was rejected, but to be honest, I didn't expect too much. My project is in Panama and is in Spanish, so my chances were low to begin with. But I was happy just to get a chance to participate and a great forum to bounce ideas. Good luck to all the projects!

42 points by raghus 19y ago

got a no :(

rantfoil 19y ago

@raghus -- Make it happen anyway. Use the no for good.

admoin 19y ago
For real. Although YC is certainly a great judge of talent and predictor of success, they aren't the be all and end all, and are forced to rely on a lot of proxies/indicators in making their decisions. Give it a go yourself!
deleted 19y ago
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utnick 19y ago

what was your idea?

ericb 19y ago
Good question, but how about "is" instead of "was." The world always gives you a few thumps to the chest to make sure you really mean it before you succeed.

xenoterracide 19y ago

no also. 'grats to those that got accepted. Given I couldn't find a co-founder (and I'm aware my own programming experience is limited) I didn't really expect to win. Will apply stronger next time. But I'm not giving up on my project. I may just take my time with it as opposed to investing all energy in it. I have so many things I want to do and learn. This will allow the end product to be better than it would be if I hammered it sloppily into existance. I might even come up with something better in the mean time.

lux 19y ago

No for us too. But hey, to be honest I thought I'd be disappointed but I'm totally relieved because at least now we can plan our summer, and we'll be launching soon enough anyway! We had a huge design meeting today going over how all our user/accounts management stuff should look, then we relaxed with some amazing Thai food, and we're totally pumped moving forward in any case. I thought the letter they sent was really nice too. If we're not too far along by winter session, we'll certainly apply again :)

lux 19y ago

Forgot to add a big congratulations to those who got accepted for interviews! See you guys at the top! ;)

dcurtis 19y ago

Do the decision letters for accepted groups ask them not to post that they were accepted? It seems like, after every funding cycle, no one admits they were accepted in these after-threads.

deleted 19y ago
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bfioca 19y ago
I'm not sure, but there's a few reasons not to post if you got accepted: 1) just getting picked to go to the interview really only gives you like a 1 in 3 or so chance of getting in to YC. 2) the news of getting accepted into YC is pretty noteworthy and shouldn't be squandered - it's useful for PR purposes when you launch your product. If you blow the news too early, you miss out on a potential PR-based influx of users from TechCrunch for example. Congrats to those who were picked to go to the interview!
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  yeah and think of "I got interviewed".... back from the interview. "didn't get accepted..."
rms 19y ago
I think it more has to do with modesty. It would make me feel bad to exclaim how great it was that I got an interview when so many other people are really sad about getting rejected.
wheels 19y ago
It seems generally imprudent to talk publicly about where you're seeking funding, or who is and isn't funding you prior to to it being a done deal.

icey 19y ago

Some advice to people who got a no: I've never applied at YC, but I've got a couple of failed startups under my belt. If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from someone whose opinion you trust. If you disagree, then use it as fuel to work hard - as hard as you can; and show everyone else that when you were down on your luck you put your nose to the grindstone and made it happen anyways. That being said, this isn't a win or lose sort of scenario; remember that it's a two way street. YC has certain types of companies or founders that they like to invest in; every investor does. Take a few days for introspection, decide if you believe in what you're doing. If you do, then keep on slogging. If you got in, then congrats... Start working on taking notes, because I hear you get an amazing amount of information from being a part of YC... even the face-to-face interview portions.

keating 19y ago
> If you got a no, think about why, and consider it free advice from someone whose opinion you trust. I honestly think they are just too pressed for time to do a thorough review. Applicants can check their web logs and see if YC even looked at their stuff. Submitting early is probably a major advantage if it means they (YC) actually have time to take a gander at what you did.
- jfornear 19y ago
  I only received 2 page views from them on April 2nd. I probably shouldn't have waited until the last minute to apply.
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  May I ask where the web logs I should look at are? (I see comments and submit logs) I agree with you otherwise though. I think submitting the day before was... not a mistake... but I found YC a week before the deadline and spend the time working up an application and looking for a co-founder.
  - pius 19y ago
    May I ask where the web logs I should look at are? I think he's saying that you can check the logs of your own server.

drockwell 19y ago

Hmm... haven't gotten my response yet

drockwell 19y ago
No for us as well... good luck to all who made it.
deleted 19y ago
[deleted]

jfornear 19y ago

It would have been nice to get more feedback. It's pretty discouraging when they tell you that they invited more applicants for interviews than ever before, and you get a generic rejection email instead. Congrats to those who made the cut though.

sudeepjuvekar 19y ago
Got a no as well... I agree that a more feedback would have been helpful to improve our product (or just to know others' opinions about it)...
webwright 19y ago
regarding feedback, consider how many applicants they get and how many people they have to go thru apps (Paul, Jessica, Trevor, I think). 10 minutes of thoughtful feedback times 1000 or so (I'm guessing) rejected folks.... 10,000 minutes of feedback. If you want feedback, crowdsource it and post it here. You'll get plenty.
- jfornear 19y ago
  I understand that, but I also don't think it would be too complicated for them to just jot their thoughts/comments down as they are going through the apps and have those included in your email, but it isn't a big deal. I'm just disappointed.
  - dkokelley 19y ago
    I think a good deal of the applications may have to be overlooked (filtered out by app questions) so there might not be any notes, other than something like "doesn't have a co-founder."
    - xenoterracide 19y ago
      even that would be nice. although I think many of us are assuming that. But you know what they say about ass u me-ing things.

Readmore 19y ago

I also got a no. It's actually what I was expecting my app is nearly done already www.embought.com and I'm a single founder. Congrats to everyone that made it. Looking forward to reading the interview recap blogs.

fallentimes 19y ago
Readmore I think your application is a good idea. Have you considered letting people choose their own charity instead of the preselected ones you have listed? Or even better, people could choose their own cause (whether it's a charity, fundraising event, boyscouts, girlscouts etc etc) and could encourage friends, family and acquaintances to use the site to raise money for their cause.
- Readmore 19y ago
  Thanks! I've thought along those same lines, and I'm hoping to make that an option in the future. Currently I'm not confident that I can track everything well enough to attribute purchases to an individual user. I didn't want to say a user could pick their own charity and then not actually be able to donate the money for them. As I get traffic I'm hoping to find a way to pull that off.
  - fallentimes 19y ago
    Maybe you could set something similar to what ebates.com has done? Each user has an individual login and everytime they go to an affiliate site they are provided with a tracking ticket. It's a really cool system and I've made over a few hundred dollars with them related to business trips for my "real job". If your site ever starts marketing towards fundraising groups, a user could be asked to enter a simple identifier code to tell the system that all proceeds should be directed to XX cause OR the group could be provided their own sign up link which automatically associates the user with XX cause.
    - Readmore 19y ago
      That sounds like a great system, thanks. I'll take a look at ebates.com and see what I can find.

izaidi 19y ago

No as well. I'm a single founder and my app's pretty much done already so it wasn't much of a surprise. Looking forward to hearing about some of the ideas they accepted.

jamespitts 19y ago

@raghus - we just got a no as well. Life deals out a lot of set-backs, but each one contains some very useful information (ideally examined in the rear-view mirror). Despite being rejected, I do think that the self-reflection involved in applying to ycomb was worth it. Well, back to building stuff!

ericb 19y ago

Don't be discouraged. I'm 100% sure my idea is rock solid, I've executed successfully before AND I have a cofounder, but I was turned down. You don't have a good startup-tale without getting turned down a few times. I think of it like this: me: Would you like to make some money with me YC? YC: No thanks, we have plenty.

dcurtis 19y ago
Sounds kind of like you're disguising your YC-denial under a veil of "I've done this before, and I'm better than you" type of thinking. Are you sure that's productive? What was your successful execution?
- pius 19y ago
  I don't think there's anything wrong with positive self-talk. A founder being confident about his or her ability to execute shouldn't make anyone else feel insecure.
  - kirubakaran 19y ago
    Agree with you 100%. We are nothing without confidence that at first seems baseless.
    - izaidi 19y ago
      Yeah, exactly. Fake it 'til you make it.
      - kirubakaran 19y ago
        Worked for Caterina :) http://www.caterina.net http://www.caterina.net
    - keating 19y ago
      “All the best things I did at Apple came from (a) not having money and (b) not having done it before, ever. Every single thing that we came out with that was really great, I’d never once done that thing in my life.” -- Woz

edgeztv 19y ago

Yeah, unfortunately most of us here were turned down and most of those who got interviews will be turned down as well. That's just how the numbers are. The more interesting question is how many of you expected to be turned down but applied anyway? I suspect a lot. It's funny that this round their application had a boolean question asking whether you were a single founder, non-technical group, full time jobs, etc. I even half joked to a friend that YC has an automated filter that queues up your rejection letter if the answer is "yes". This time around I did not expect to get funded, as I don't have a co-founder yet. Funny thing is, this time I also believe in my idea much more strongly than both times I applied in the past (with co-founders) and got invited to an interview. I guess that's why I still went for it.

deleted 19y ago

[deleted]

lpgauth 19y ago

I'm planning on applying next summer when I'm done my CS degree and have a bit more experience under my belt, but I would love to know what are usually the reasons of rejections? As for now I'm looking for a cofounder and a great idea, but I would love to improve on possible weaknesses I have that are import to the eyes of YC.

xenoterracide 19y ago
what's wrong with the idea you applied with?

ubudesign 19y ago

it's funny they miss spelled one of our founders email. The domain was la-fem.com instead they send it to la.anybots.com I wonder why

keating 19y ago
Anybots is Trevor Blackwell's company. Wild guess: the parsing barfed at the hyphen in name@la-fem.com and sent it to name@la -- and the email system will fill in the local domain name if you don't use a FQDN. They sent it through anybots.com's mail system so it got filled in as la.anybots.com

aschobel 19y ago

Just got the "rejection" letter, I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't get the team reviewing the proposals as passionate about the project as I am. I think being a solo founder hurt me, but I've been working on the project full-time for four months (over 12k lines of code). This won't slow me down. =) What is your company going to make? We make it easy to jot something down from any device and then share that note with your friends or colleagues to have a discussion. We are building a web version and apps for Android, iPhone, and BlackBerry. Sample use: You are at a restaurant and like a bottle of wine. You whip out your phone and snap a picture. Now that picture is part of your notes which you can access from anywhere. One more click and the note is shared on your Facebook News Feed so you can have a threaded discussion with your friends. 3banana: your notes are social http://3banana.com http://3banana.com

wumi 19y ago
the first part sounds a bit like twitter/ letsprovewhere
- aschobel 19y ago
  Kinda, but this is a very different animal. There are two itches I'm scratching with 3banana. The first is that I want to keep track of small bits of information and make it easy to retrieve them from any device. Right now I email myself notes, which is clunky. The site has full text search and allows you to label your notes. The site also automatically labels stuff like Address/Phone Numbers/etc, so you can query it to give you all the Phone Numbers you jotted down in the last week. The second itch is that sometimes you have an existing note that you want to share. You click one button and the note is shared to Facebook/Twitter/Email/AIM/wherever your social graph is. Your note is now a instant threaded discussion forum. 3banana: your notes are social http://3banana.com http://3banana.com
  - aschobel 19y ago
    In hindsight I probably should have focused a bit more on that aspect in my application. =)
  - 19y ago

volida 19y ago

congratulations whether you got a no or a yes, you just made another step of a very long walk with many paths to choose from, before reaching where you dream.

dood 19y ago

No for me too. I'm a little annoyed at myself for applying at the last minute. My plan was to solve some key technical issues before applying next cycle, but I changed my mind and applied without thinking it through. Maybe spending more time properly presentating my concept would have made all the difference... on the other hand maybe it wouldn't. My idea is fairly wacky, and may need to be seen to be believed, so back to plan A: solving problems and building the alpha!

alaskamiller 19y ago

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=68598 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=68598 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=113610 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=113610

attack 19y ago
http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/persistence.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/stupidity.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/potential.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/losing.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat... http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivational%20Posters/adversity.jpg http://theburningbiscuit.com/Pictures%20for%20site/Demotivat...
- xenoterracide 19y ago
  although I think the pics are funny. I think they are also trolling. Modding you down.
  - attack 19y ago
    Need not get petty. Share the laughs.
- hooande 19y ago
  funny response, no need to take it personally. I had the "failure" demotivator up in my room for a year

ajkirwin 19y ago

I also got a no, but that's okay. I don't think the infrastructure is in place for mine yet, anyway. Maybe in a little while! :D

schaaf 19y ago

When I was visiting Harvard one time before undergraduate college applications, my tour guide mentioned something that stuck with me -- that after a round of auditions for the highly selective a capella groups on campus, the students that were passed over for all the existing groups decided to band together and form a new group. And that that group ended up training more seriously and later that year came in first in some a capella competition. There's a lot of potential value floating around HN. Perhaps an informal BarCombinator of sorts could be formed? (incidentally, we made it past this round, but...) Whois Server Version 2.0 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net http://www.internic.net for detailed information. No match for "BARCOMBINATOR.COM". ( Let the domain race begin? )

wheels 19y ago
I've just created a LinkedIn group for Hacker News (unrelated to this thread, but reading it reminded me I was planning on creating it). I'll post the details here and in a new article when it's live. I've also added my LinkedIn profile to my HC profile.
- rms 19y ago
  There is already a group with 150 members here: http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&groupFilter=3426 http://www.linkedin.com/search?search=&sortCriteria=3&#3... Does that link for people? I can't figure out a better way to link to it, it is called "Y Combinator News Group" >The groups directory is not currently open. We are working on creating a searchable directory for all groups. If there are groups you wish to join, you may click on the group logo from the profile of a group member and request to join. Looks like LinkedIn groups are mostly broken. So this is my profile, you can join the group if you click the group link in my profile. http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605&trk=tab_pro http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7886605...
  - wheels 19y ago
    Hmm, yeah, this seems pretty b0rked. Ok, I'll see if I can dig something up a little more useful.

trey 19y ago

I got a no as well and my feeling is that the entire process is pointless for an applicant without any feedback. I'm not bitter about being rejected, but going into this I expected at least some amount of commentary, and not 5 hits on my site and a form rejection letter. Maybe I should have tapered my expectations or the website should have been more clear about saying that if we don't pick you, you won't hear anything from us.

xenoterracide 19y ago
I do think it is your expectations. I didn't expect more, but it would be nice to have more. try again next time.
alex_c 19y ago
Given how many applications they receive, it'd probably be impractical to give feedback to each and every one - but the biggest reason is probably that doing so would open them up to arguing and disagreement from those rejected. I think the value comes from the application form itself. If you didn't feel 100% confident in some of the answers, they might be points for improvement.
LukeG 19y ago
Trey, my friend - Learn to love rejection, to thrive off of it. when people say no - or, even worse, give lukewarm support - they're saying they don't get it. Only one thing for you to do: prove it. Keep hearing no, keep moving on, keep building, keep getting stronger, keep doing what you do. Pain is good, pain makes you stronger. This - this industry/community/dream/passion/life - will never be easy. It's going to hurt and suck and make you want to quit (or die), so be ready to cry and bleed. Yeah, learn to take a punch - but that sure won't be enough. You need to learn to love it. This isn't about them, the naysayers and the unbelievers. This is about you and your conviction to build something great and lasting. Every NO is more than a test; every NO is a challenge. So what are you going to do about it?

dkasper 19y ago

So, anyone got a yes?

ebukys 19y ago

No as well, but frankly I expected it (as my idea really has very little programming in it). For a form letter, the email they sent was pretty well written. I feel more challenged after reading it, and fully plan on making some serious money and turning around and sending them an email of how successful I was, and what exactly they missed out on. Cheers! (and congrats to those who were accepted)

martythemaniak 19y ago

Got invited for an interview! :) This was actually my third time applying to YC. First time I applied (last summer) the application and idea were pretty crappy, so we never came close. We had a slightly better application during the winter round and almost got an interview. I guess the third time was the charm. This is great news of course, but it only increases your chances - the real test will be at the interview.

fallentimes 19y ago
Congrats Marty! Just curious - how do you know that you almost got an interview during the winter round?
- martythemaniak 19y ago
  Thanks everyone. The second time around I thought we had a pretty good application and they emailed me back asking some extra questions, so unlike the first time around I was a bit surprised and pretty disappointed. I emailed them back and they told me we almost made it, but others were doing similar things and were further along. Turns out, what were trying to do was quite similar to Heroku, who had already been funded, but were still in private beta at that time. I think what helped this time around is that we have (IMO) a decent and somewhat newish idea, combined with a working, if early, version of the app. But we'll see what happens...
ericb 19y ago
congrats!
aschobel 19y ago
Congrats! Good luck with the interview.
xenoterracide 19y ago
just show's everyone that just because you fail with the first application doesn't mean you should quit. Out of curiosity what was the first crappy idea?
19y ago

bwah 19y ago

We got a no as well. Probably could have spent more time editing/polishing our application but sometimes time gets away from you. Would have loved to get more feedback, though I am sure there were far too many applicants for that. Good luck to all who are interviewing.

lgcale 19y ago

How will you know that you got rejected? Do they send you a letter of rejection?

msg 19y ago

The classic, the best thing to read about rejection. It's by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, an editor at Tor (also a moderator at Boing Boing now). The context is science fiction publishing, but the feelings are all the same. And it's a good laugh. http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html For instance, some of the "didn't peruse my website" stuff starts to sound familiar: "But let’s assume the author’s right, and the reader didn’t get all the way through the submitted material. Is that a fair evaluation? When we’re publishing books that readers are going to glance at, briefly browse, then either buy or put back on the shelf, you bet it’s a fair evaluation. Again, when you think about this with your reader-mind instead of your writer-mind, it all comes much clearer."

wallflower 19y ago
"SOME THOUGHTS ON WRITING" (Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of the #1 NYTimes Bestseller Memoir, Eat Pray Love) [http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm] "Your job is only to write your heart out, and let destiny take care of the rest." "I have a friend who’s an Italian filmmaker of great artistic sensibility. After years of struggling to get his films made, he sent an anguished letter to his hero, the brilliant (and perhaps half-insane) German filmmaker Werner Herzog. My friend complained about how difficult it is these days to be an independent filmmaker, how hard it is to find government arts grants, how the audiences have all been ruined by Hollywood and how the world has lost its taste…etc, etc. Herzog wrote back a personal letter to my friend that essentially ran along these lines: “Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but stop whining and get back to work.” I repeat those words back to myself whenever I start to feel resentful, entitled, competitive or unappreciated with regard to my writing: “It’s not the world’s fault that you want to be an artist…now get back to work.” Always, at the end of the day, the important thing is only and always that: Get back to work. This is a path for the courageous and the faithful. You must find another reason to work, other than the desire for success or recognition. It must come from another place."

astine 19y ago

Congratulations to everyone who made an interview and I wish you the best of luck. I didn't get rejected because I didn't apply this round, but I will next round. Hopefully it will turn out well for me as well.

ecarder 19y ago

I’m passion about our application and will continue to work on it. YC challenge helped us to make it faster, but we started to do it before we found out about YC (4 months ago). Continue to do what you do! Thanks to YC

danielha 19y ago

Congrats to everyone that got an interview! Get a prototype/demo working and be impressive. Y Combinator is life changing -- good luck. :) For those not participating, you can still join a growing YC startup. Disqus is actively growing the team: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=158091 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=158091

babulmiah 19y ago

Good enterprises is not to give up when you fall. Keep trying and I am sure you will succeed!

CRASCH 19y ago

Sorry to hear about the majority which all got a no. Keep your chins up and your hopes alive. I would not worry about it. It might be time for a reality check though. Step back and take a look at your idea. Does it have legs. Is it something that people want. Can you monetize it. Don't take your own opinion seriously, ask people if they would use it and see ads or pay for it. If you can't find anyone who would, come up with another idea. Figure out what it would take to get to the next step. If the answer is a boatload of money or a team of people then it may be time to come up with another idea that has a lower bar to clear. If the answer is a couple of months of working nights for the founders go for it. One more thing. I've been lurking here for awhile and I see the passion and desire to make things happen here all the time. It motivates me to work harder and make it happen for my project. I think this small community is a great virtual community. We can all use it to push each other to succeed. I know I am. I wonder how many YC rejects will succeed? I'm guessing a lot more than normal. I couldn't apply with my reality. I'm too old. I need too much money. I can't move. etc... But it does not matter. I will finish my project and I will release it and see if it has legs. I can't wait to see more new products announced here by the YC rejects. I'll keep lurking...

deleted 19y ago

[deleted]

hendler 19y ago

Got a no. Hoping for some personalized feedback, some intel. When you are first starting out, generally that's the most important thing - since even if you get a "yes", what your going to get besides $5k+$5kN is lots of community and feedback. Cash can be burned through, especially that little. I mean, McAffee has a Stadium and computers still get viruses. But the truth, well, that's a bit more persistent.

nextmoveone 19y ago

I didnt apply this time around, but... You have to realize that while Hacker News may be a community, Y Combinator is actually business. Businesses tend to strive to efficient processes. Applying to Y Combinator is like applying to any other competition, so don't take the lack of direct feedback personally. If you got a rejection letter, it didn't state things like "You didn't pursue enough extracurricular activities, plus the grammar in your essay was horrible". I think that what people that werent accepted should do is become a part of this community. Because while you may not get feedback from your application, we will give that feedback, we will give you that support when you are down, we will be the first users of your website, heck we may even be your first competitors. So, dont drop your idea or stop coming here because you werent accepted or didnt get feedback. It's not personal. Really. Good Luck!

mrtron 19y ago

I was once again not accepted. I really wasn't expecting to get in this time, but it really can be a big hit on the ego seeing all these people getting in and not being on the list. However, it shouldn't deter me - I will continue on fighting the good fight. Best of luck to the other applicants. My idea is great, and I have just starting working on it. I will keep you guys updated, hopefully release before demo day, and with some luck nobody will notice I wasn't in this round.

ameilij 19y ago

I was rejected, but to be honest, I didn't expect too much. My project is in Panama and is in Spanish, so my chances were low to begin with. But I was happy just to get a chance to participate and a great forum to bounce ideas. Good luck to all the projects!