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I can’t understand some of the YC invested companies. They don’t seem to be billion dollar companies to me. For example, why is a form builder a billion dollar

I can’t understand some of the YC invested companies. They don’t seem to be billion dollar companies to me. For example, why is a form builder a billion dollar company?

hortense 7y ago
A form builder can evolve into an app builder.
- antibland 7y ago
  Why is an app builder a billion dollar company?
  - zakki 7y ago
    Everyone wants to build one.
  - billconan 7y ago
    ya and also saying a form builder can become an app builder, is like saying a plain paper can be used to print money ... we all know that the delta between them is huge. We are not selling fairy tales to VCs, or are we?
    - krapp 7y ago
      > We are not selling fairy tales to VCs, or are we? Silicon Valley should have its own version of the Hollywood sign that reads "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute."
    - mavhc 7y ago
      Of course you are, "and then they all lived happily ever after, and by all I mean 7 billion people, and by happily I mean paying $10/month or clicking ads"
  - sgt 7y ago
    An app builder can turn into a SAP.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- maannj 7y ago
  I don't believe that YC made that assumption when they accepted the form builder. There are many things that's in-browser video editing app can evolve to.
randomsearch 7y ago
It’s based on investors’ view of the future of the company and economy. It could be that investors believe the company can grow into something large and profitable. It could be that investors believe they will be able to sell their shares to someone else for more. There is no law that says these beliefs have to be rational.
firasd 7y ago
Zapier is already one of YC's top 100 companies. Form builder apps tap into that same growing 'no code' movement.
ajb 7y ago
As of just now, surveymonkey's market cap is 2.463B
pjc50 7y ago
A "form builder" that obviates the need for lots of expensive web development would be huge for intranet and small business applications. It would blow away Sharepoint, for example.
wallawe 7y ago
I've noticed this for a few companies as well (https://www.keyvalues.com https://www.keyvalues.com comes to mind). Don't get me wrong it's a great company for the founder and maybe a small team, but there's no intent to grow it massively. The founder has even said so. Not sure why YC makes those exceptions sometimes.
UlisesAC4 7y ago
The trend I have seen is that VC's invest in teams, not in the idea at least in the first place.

I can’t understand some of the YC invested companies. They don’t seem to be billion dollar companies to me. For example, why is a form builder a billion dollar company?

hortense 7y ago

A form builder can evolve into an app builder.

antibland 7y ago
Why is an app builder a billion dollar company?
- zakki 7y ago
  Everyone wants to build one.
- billconan 7y ago
  ya and also saying a form builder can become an app builder, is like saying a plain paper can be used to print money ... we all know that the delta between them is huge. We are not selling fairy tales to VCs, or are we?
  - krapp 7y ago
    > We are not selling fairy tales to VCs, or are we? Silicon Valley should have its own version of the Hollywood sign that reads "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute."
  - mavhc 7y ago
    Of course you are, "and then they all lived happily ever after, and by all I mean 7 billion people, and by happily I mean paying $10/month or clicking ads"
- sgt 7y ago
  An app builder can turn into a SAP.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
maannj 7y ago
I don't believe that YC made that assumption when they accepted the form builder. There are many things that's in-browser video editing app can evolve to.

randomsearch 7y ago

It’s based on investors’ view of the future of the company and economy. It could be that investors believe the company can grow into something large and profitable. It could be that investors believe they will be able to sell their shares to someone else for more. There is no law that says these beliefs have to be rational.

firasd 7y ago

Zapier is already one of YC's top 100 companies. Form builder apps tap into that same growing 'no code' movement.

ajb 7y ago

As of just now, surveymonkey's market cap is 2.463B

pjc50 7y ago

A "form builder" that obviates the need for lots of expensive web development would be huge for intranet and small business applications. It would blow away Sharepoint, for example.

wallawe 7y ago

I've noticed this for a few companies as well (https://www.keyvalues.com https://www.keyvalues.com comes to mind). Don't get me wrong it's a great company for the founder and maybe a small team, but there's no intent to grow it massively. The founder has even said so. Not sure why YC makes those exceptions sometimes.

UlisesAC4 7y ago

The trend I have seen is that VC's invest in teams, not in the idea at least in the first place.