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I had the same question too. I am from India, I want to apply for Winter Cycle and the product is for all the users. I had read a post where they say it is toug

by azharcs 18y ago

I had the same question too. I am from India, I want to apply for Winter Cycle and the product is for all the users. I had read a post where they say it is tough to get into ycombinator if you are not from Ivy League colleges or from USA. This is a scary part for me, I took leave from college this year to get into winter cycle and then i read about it how difficult it is for people from other countries to get into ycombinator. They said it is difficult not impossible, so trying my 100% to get in.

startingup 18y ago
If you are already set on doing it, don't worry about the fact that YC didn't or wouldn't accept you. Go ahead and launch whatever it is you wanted to launch, iterate, and see what happens. In any event, there are companies out there that hire great hackers and the best way to showcase your hacking skills is to actually launch something (that works!).
wheels 18y ago
Paul's been pretty active here in saying that he doesn't think that coming from a brand name college is important. Oh, and by the way, "Ivy" isn't the word you want. MIT and Stanford for instance aren't "Ivy". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League#Members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League#Members I'm certain that there have been English and Canadian teams accepted, so I think your inhibitions are unfounded. More problematic would be getting your visa sorted out. Also note that YC accepts less than 10% of applicants, so you shouldn't bank on being accepted. Figure out your plans with or without YC and how you'd go through with it either way.
- azharcs 18y ago
  yup very much true. Visa is the biggest problem after being accepted.
  - jkent 18y ago
    On a 3-month tourist/business visa, it's not a big problem, assuming you have a clean record - just a form, a wait and $131. You should assume that you won't be able to stay in the USA afterwards though.
    - rmanocha 18y ago
      Do you/somebody-else know the process by which somebody from outside the US can continue to work in the US?? Is there a specific Visa we would need to apply for. I always thought it was easy for founders to continue working in the US - it was only hard for people coming to work for existing companies...
      - alain94040 18y ago
        The main challenge with working in the US is that you can only get a work permit if you can show that you have enough money to pay yourself at market rates. Which, in places like Silicon Valley, can mean $100k/year. Usually, your startup does not have that kind of cash. So you have a problem. A quick summary of visas: H1: the most common. As long as there is a US company and they can pay you market rates, it works in theory, except there are no visas available, due to quotas, except a few days a year. It's crazy. L1: that only works if you are transferring from one foreign corporation to a related entity (branch, headquarters, etc...). Highly unlikely for startups E1: if your country of origin has a special treaty with the US, and you have established reasonable business, you can send yourself on a mission to start the US branch of your business. That visa is very convenient and has fairly open guidelines, but it very rare. Alain - fairsoftware.net
SingAlong 18y ago
azharcs, I too planned to do the same thing as you did - taking leave from college. But you know how strict it is in India. You must be lucky that your college gave you the 'requested' leave. I planned of taking leave and then the idea itself scared me off(what if I don't get selected and I am on leave).
- azharcs 18y ago
  I can always get educated whenever i want to but market is not always favorable for launching products always. It is not like i am not getting educated now, everyday learning little bit more than i knew yesterday be it programming, designing or start up culture. I am self-learning now and it feels great not to be spoon fed. I know it is tough to quit education in India, they think of education as spiritual rather than a commodity they purchase by paying yearly fees. Which city in India do u stay, I am from Bangalore.
- helveticaman 18y ago
  I took leave off college...I totally agree, it's really scary.
webwright 18y ago
that ivy league thing is bunk, I think. Our team had a CS degree that took 9 years, a psychology degree from a little liberal arts college, and a CS dropout from University of Alaska.

by azharcs 18y ago

startingup 18y ago

If you are already set on doing it, don't worry about the fact that YC didn't or wouldn't accept you. Go ahead and launch whatever it is you wanted to launch, iterate, and see what happens. In any event, there are companies out there that hire great hackers and the best way to showcase your hacking skills is to actually launch something (that works!).

wheels 18y ago

Paul's been pretty active here in saying that he doesn't think that coming from a brand name college is important. Oh, and by the way, "Ivy" isn't the word you want. MIT and Stanford for instance aren't "Ivy". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League#Members http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League#Members I'm certain that there have been English and Canadian teams accepted, so I think your inhibitions are unfounded. More problematic would be getting your visa sorted out. Also note that YC accepts less than 10% of applicants, so you shouldn't bank on being accepted. Figure out your plans with or without YC and how you'd go through with it either way.

azharcs 18y ago
yup very much true. Visa is the biggest problem after being accepted.
- jkent 18y ago
  On a 3-month tourist/business visa, it's not a big problem, assuming you have a clean record - just a form, a wait and $131. You should assume that you won't be able to stay in the USA afterwards though.
  - rmanocha 18y ago
    Do you/somebody-else know the process by which somebody from outside the US can continue to work in the US?? Is there a specific Visa we would need to apply for. I always thought it was easy for founders to continue working in the US - it was only hard for people coming to work for existing companies...
    - alain94040 18y ago
      The main challenge with working in the US is that you can only get a work permit if you can show that you have enough money to pay yourself at market rates. Which, in places like Silicon Valley, can mean $100k/year. Usually, your startup does not have that kind of cash. So you have a problem. A quick summary of visas: H1: the most common. As long as there is a US company and they can pay you market rates, it works in theory, except there are no visas available, due to quotas, except a few days a year. It's crazy. L1: that only works if you are transferring from one foreign corporation to a related entity (branch, headquarters, etc...). Highly unlikely for startups E1: if your country of origin has a special treaty with the US, and you have established reasonable business, you can send yourself on a mission to start the US branch of your business. That visa is very convenient and has fairly open guidelines, but it very rare. Alain - fairsoftware.net

SingAlong 18y ago

azharcs, I too planned to do the same thing as you did - taking leave from college. But you know how strict it is in India. You must be lucky that your college gave you the 'requested' leave. I planned of taking leave and then the idea itself scared me off(what if I don't get selected and I am on leave).

azharcs 18y ago
I can always get educated whenever i want to but market is not always favorable for launching products always. It is not like i am not getting educated now, everyday learning little bit more than i knew yesterday be it programming, designing or start up culture. I am self-learning now and it feels great not to be spoon fed. I know it is tough to quit education in India, they think of education as spiritual rather than a commodity they purchase by paying yearly fees. Which city in India do u stay, I am from Bangalore.
helveticaman 18y ago
I took leave off college...I totally agree, it's really scary.

webwright 18y ago

that ivy league thing is bunk, I think. Our team had a CS degree that took 9 years, a psychology degree from a little liberal arts college, and a CS dropout from University of Alaska.