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I was a bit hesitant about applying since it's remote (thus less opportunity to build connections when you're outside the US), but it seems that the last remote

I was a bit hesitant about applying since it's remote (thus less opportunity to build connections when you're outside the US), but it seems that the last remote batch was more than successful. Are there any S20 participants who'd like to share their experience? :)

zain 6y ago
I was in S20 and also W10, so I did a remote batch and a non-remote batch ten years apart. Overall, it was indeed more work to get to know your batchmates, and the serendipity was gone a little. However, on the flip side, all the structured pieces were very on-point -- e.g. weekly talks, written materials, office hours, and advice. With few exceptions, I would recommend YC to anyone on the fence.
kiwicopple 6y ago
We[1] did S20, here are a few thoughts - Pro: The YC partners and staff went out of their way to make the remote experience as good as the in-person experience. We're in Singapore and the partners would make time whenever we needed it on our schedule/timezone - even though it was late/early for them - Pro: The tooling is awesome. I didn't know this before the batch, but YC has a whole software team building tooling. They have some amazing systems in place, and as this article points out they are constantly improving it. - Pro: Fundraising was better/easier (at least for us). This isn't particular to YC I guess, but because everything is on Zoom you can line up the meetings back-to-back, instead of commuting around the Bay instead of in-person meetings. This may be personal preference, but I find commuting exhausting and don't mind pitching over zoom. - Pro: even though it's remote, you still get many of the things that make YC great - the brand, the network, the internal forums, the knowledge base, accelerator deals, advisors etc - Con: Timezones. This is only relevant if you're living in a timezone that isn't handy to ET. Since we're in Singapore at the moment, most of the batch talks ("YC dinners") were midnight-2am. This is understandable - they chose a timezone which is best for the majority of the batch, and it would be tough to cater for everyone - Con: It's harder to make connections with your batchmates. Overall it's a strong recommendation from me - definitely worth doing. [1] https://supabase.io https://supabase.io

zain 6y ago

I was in S20 and also W10, so I did a remote batch and a non-remote batch ten years apart. Overall, it was indeed more work to get to know your batchmates, and the serendipity was gone a little. However, on the flip side, all the structured pieces were very on-point -- e.g. weekly talks, written materials, office hours, and advice. With few exceptions, I would recommend YC to anyone on the fence.

kiwicopple 6y ago

We[1] did S20, here are a few thoughts - Pro: The YC partners and staff went out of their way to make the remote experience as good as the in-person experience. We're in Singapore and the partners would make time whenever we needed it on our schedule/timezone - even though it was late/early for them - Pro: The tooling is awesome. I didn't know this before the batch, but YC has a whole software team building tooling. They have some amazing systems in place, and as this article points out they are constantly improving it. - Pro: Fundraising was better/easier (at least for us). This isn't particular to YC I guess, but because everything is on Zoom you can line up the meetings back-to-back, instead of commuting around the Bay instead of in-person meetings. This may be personal preference, but I find commuting exhausting and don't mind pitching over zoom. - Pro: even though it's remote, you still get many of the things that make YC great - the brand, the network, the internal forums, the knowledge base, accelerator deals, advisors etc - Con: Timezones. This is only relevant if you're living in a timezone that isn't handy to ET. Since we're in Singapore at the moment, most of the batch talks ("YC dinners") were midnight-2am. This is understandable - they chose a timezone which is best for the majority of the batch, and it would be tough to cater for everyone - Con: It's harder to make connections with your batchmates. Overall it's a strong recommendation from me - definitely worth doing. [1] https://supabase.io https://supabase.io