11 ms·

Applications Open for Winter 2012 YC Funding

279 points by pg 15y ago

Shenglong 15y ago
pg - if one of the co-founders who won't be the CEO lives far away on another continent, is it required that he/she show up for the interview? While I don't expect this to be a problem either way, we're just thinking of ways to minimize costs. Edit: I'm talking specifically about the interview. If accepted, we'd both come down.
- spoiledtechie 15y ago
  ditto
- patrickod 15y ago
  My co-founder and I both couldn't make it to interview. He flew out and I interviewed over a video chat via Skype. It's not a problem at all.
  - Shenglong 15y ago
    Wonderful - thank you for the information!
deleted 15y ago
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bitsweet 15y ago
How many solo founders were accepted in summer 2011? Has the % accepted increased with the larger class size?
- brandnewlow 15y ago
  Solution: Don't be a solo founder. I spent a few years trying to go that route. It's death. Death. If you can't sell someone else on joining up, how on earth are you going to sell someone in giving you money?
  - jjm 15y ago
    Solo founder can be done, but indeed it is hard. Odds are really against you but not impossible.
  - rgrieselhuber 15y ago
    Solo founder here. YC S10. We have 8 people now, are well funded and making good revenues. It might not have worked for you but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
    - brandnewlow 15y ago
      Congrats! Absolutely it can be done. And absolutely I failed to pull it off by myself. That doesn't change my advice to folks to find a co-founder.
      - mindcrime 15y ago
        That doesn't change my advice to folks to find a co-founder. Right, but you're not advocating the "stop the world" and do nothing until they do find a co-founder, are you? I guess that's my point: a solo-founder isn't necessarily somebody who intends to stay a solo-founder, but are likely someone who just hasn't found their co-founder(s) yet. And I, for one, would not advocate stopping everything until you find that person (or persons).
  - bitsweet 15y ago
    I can see two ways of finding partners: 1) Your existing social circle 2) Networking with like-minded strangers at meetups/community Regarding, 1, not everyone in a social circle can A) add unique value, B) be in a position to take on the risks, or C) desire entrepreneurship, perhaps being a better first employee As far as networking approach, having a good partnership surely would increase % of success. But a partnership made in haste with someone you might hardly know will surely increase the chance of failure even more so.
    - patrickod 15y ago
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
  - marcomonteiro 15y ago
    Third time's a charm. Good luck. For what it's worth keep the focus on you. YC companies have changed ideas mid-term many times from what I've noticed and it seems they're entirely interested in the individual members of the team.
- pg 15y ago
  I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like 9 out of 64, which is a larger percentage than normal. I doubt it's due to growth though; it's probably just a fluke. (The reason it's 64 and not 63 is that two of the startups in this batch merged part way through.)
  - jdunck 15y ago
    That's 14%. What % of applicants were single founders? I know you have a predisposition against singles, but that's actually higher than I would have expected.
    - pg 15y ago
      Off the top of my head, maybe half.
spoiledtechie 15y ago
Shameless plug: I want to do this 100%. I have exhausted every single person I know who codes for the passed 4 years. It pretty much comes down to "They don't want to do the work and are completely happy in their current job". If anyone is interested, I would love to be your co-founder. I have built several websites. I am experienced in both C# and Java. Ive built several Android Apps. I know DBs like the back of my hand and I have DRIVE. I have an amazing idea. Ya of course everyone says that, but I really do. Its a total niche idea and it has the ability to make money from both users and sponsors alike through subscriptions and sales from the application. I am currently iterating the idea my self through the night, but would love for someone to jump on board. This niche is supported by well over 1000 groups willing to pay good money. There is no competition to the point I want to bring the idea. I want to apply, but I am totally a Solo here. Anyone want to co-found an idea? I want someone who is 100% ready to jump in. Contact me. spoiledtechie with gmail
- rokhayakebe 15y ago
  Do not wait. A great cofounder is more likely to come along if you build it.
  - danberger 15y ago
    Don't you think that some people would be hesitant to join a startup as a cofounder with a product already in development?
    - alain94040 15y ago
      It doesn't matter. Good co-founders are much more sensitive to the fact that you pitch your "great idea" and still haven't done anything about it -- based on experience organizing a co-founders meetup for two years now.
    - rokhayakebe 15y ago
      No. Actually these may be people who are very interested in startuping, but do not want to make the first jump.
marcomonteiro 15y ago
Here we go again, or should I say here I go again. ;)
throwaway_1971 15y ago
I would like to ask a question. We have a product. We have beta customers and it seems we will have revenue of about $30K/year (that is according to survey of existing customers). We believe the revenue should be 100M/year :) But we are not sure if we know what we don't know. We are old (in 40s) and geeks (never did any business before but we dreamed about). Does it make sense for us apply to Y combinator? Meaning what path would be the most efficient for us?
- marcomonteiro 15y ago
  Why not? I applied previously not so much for the money but rather the mentorship, advice and relationships that could be built. Don't sell yourselves short because your "old". Sell the fact that your mature, disciplined and responsible enough to commit to this company and bring tremendous experiences along with you.
- pclark 15y ago
  age is irrelevant, you should do it.
- teej 15y ago
  That's a big question. Let me attempt to answer it by breaking it down. > We have a product Several of the hottest companies in the last batch had been around for years before YC. Also, AirBnB. > We are old. I don't think that's an issue. Ever since the announcement of the Start Fund, YC has seen more and more seasoned founders come in. My -favorite- company in the S11 batch is a group of wickedly-smart guys in their 30s who've never started a company before. > Does it make sense for us to apply to YC? Depends. YC gives you exposure, business and investment contacts, operational help, and focus. For many companies, those things move the needle. If you're willing to give up a minuscule slice of your company to open up growth opportunities, then do it.
- patrickod 15y ago
  nobody in YC will ever hold your age against you. It's a complete non-issue. If you want to develop this idea then you should apply.
- 15y ago
marcomonteiro 15y ago
What do you guys (and gals) think about non-technical co-founders? Well at least co-founders who are barely learning to code?
- pg 15y ago
  The founders don't all have to be programmers, but we prefer there be at least one.
  - marcomonteiro 15y ago
    Thank you PG, I really appreciate your reply. The person I have in mind is brilliant and picking up programming concepts quickly. We also work well with each other and he is someone I can count on to stick with me through the hard times.
ForrestN 15y ago
Sorry if this has been asked/answered before: is there a disadvantage to applying multiple times? In other words, is it better to wait until you are totally sure you have your strongest application, or is it worth taking the risk, and then applying again when you are further along with your project?
- marcomonteiro 15y ago
  I applied for Summer 11 and didn't get in and I'm still serious about what I'm doing so I'm applying again. If nothing else maybe they'll remember me and if I dont get in there's always the next session. It doesn't hurt to keep putting yourself out there. Good luck.
  - nicholasjbs 15y ago
    There were multiple companies in my batch (S10) that had applied multiple times. One company had actually applied four or five times, I think.
- jasonmccay 15y ago
  Take the risk and apply. They are looking for brilliant people and are willing to mold and improve your idea or give you an entirely new idea if they like your team. While there needs to be a basic concept/product there, they really do count the team much higher than the idea. Go for it and good luck!
- Harj 15y ago
  Just apply, it makes no difference to us whether you've applied before or not.
- earbitscom 15y ago
  It took us two times to get in. If Harj says they don't pay attention to previous attempts, they don't.
jcarden 15y ago
I'm looking for some co-founders for the next cycle. Tried my social circles and ran into the competence and drive issue that many of you probably experienced. If you are interested we should definitely talk. Shoot me an email at carden.justin@gmail.com
acak 15y ago
I started looking for a cofounder about a month ago. I am not sure if I will find one by October 31st but the search is on. How is this evaluated on the application? Also, there was a recent clarification by the USCIS that a H1-B visa holder can work for his/her own company. Is YC cognizant of this and can it help the visa holder jump through any hoops (legal or otherwise) to be a H1-B start-up founder?
- kiteloop 15y ago
  Do you have a link to this USCIS clarification?
  - acak 15y ago
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-immigration-a-step-in-the-right-direction/2011/08/03/gIQA2bGgsI_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-immigration-a-step...
- zmitri 15y ago
  They don't help you with visa stuff, you need to do it on your own. An H1B holder can work for his or her own company now, but you need lots of money (~400-500K) and need to pay a real salary (60K ish for a software engineer). The H1B is not a startup visa, perse, it's meant for established companies.
jbhelms 15y ago
I am planning on applying this round, but I have to admit that I hate making presentations, in fact I am dreading the 1 minute video I have to make for the application. I imagine that I will get over it.
bourdine 15y ago
I'm apply last year (W11) but was rejected. Now I know why - not because I'm russian, just my idea was a totally shit. Thanks PG, that you reject me. I got many ideas since last year - Startups Franchise, Help Button to any smartphones and many other, I invent new XML-format RSS+ and tons of many ohers great things. Now I got an idea, that 85% of G+ techbloggers say 'this is realy cool' because this is really cool, not because I'm think so. This is a startup, that can grow fast and make good cashflow. September, 15 Steve Blank come to Moscow and I'm pitch him with it. If him also say 'cool' I'm apply. I have a great cofounder - IP lawyer from New Delhi. We can do it, PG.
- rokhayakebe 15y ago
  Go Bourdine!
simondlr 15y ago
Has anyone from other countries signed up for this? Does anyone know how the visa situation is in order to work for those 3 months in the USA?
- kitcar 15y ago
  It varies drastically by country - see http://travel.state.gov/visa/ http://travel.state.gov/visa/
  - simondlr 15y ago
    Thank you!
- pclark 15y ago
  there is a very knowledgeable ycombinator international mailing list. i wouldn't worry about it.
zbruhnke 15y ago
I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top tier investors and ship code every day. Yet even with all that said I have not managed to get to the interview round. This time around I have something a little more special in store for my application, so we shall see how this works. For me (like many others I'm sure) the problem is not selling people on the idea, it is selling qualified people on the idea. I want to bring on someone who can truly add value to the team and I want a partner not just another body. It's just finding a way to stand out on the application process that a solo founder has a hard time with, I think many solo founders don't realize exactly how hard that is when the YC staff reads through more than 2,000 apps each cycle now.
- lacker 15y ago
  If you are more tenacious than Sam Altman, then you should use your tenacity to tenaciously find a cofounder.
  - Shenglong 15y ago
    I don't know if finding a co-founder is about tenacity. When I was looking for a co-founder for my idea, the problem wasn't finding someone who was interested or qualified - it was finding someone I thought I could work with that closely, and someone I could trust 100%. The poster is probably in a similar scenario...
  - zbruhnke 15y ago
    I will without a doubt, I will have two preferably and the equity split would be equal among the founders. That said tenacity does not mean - "Acts quickly with no regard for future consequences" so I am careful and calculating with every move I make and it means everything to me that I find exactly the right person to work on this with. Passion has to be involved to a certain degree to make a startup work and as someone who had a partnership go to the wayside before compatibility and commitment are of the utmost importance for me in my search for a co-founder
simonw 15y ago
If you're still on the fence about whether or not you should reply, I suggest reading "What Happens at YC": http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html - that's the essay that convinced us to apply with Lanyrd, and it was everything the essay promised and more.
- earbitscom 15y ago
  The best summary I have heard of whether or not to apply is: "If you think you might need YC, you need it. If you think you might not need YC, you need it. If you are ABSOLUTELY SURE you don't need YC, you probably still do, but maybe not."
  - wheels 15y ago
    I'm not really comfortable with the word "need" there since obviously most successful companies don't go through YC. It's more like, "What are the situations where going through YC is a net minus?" and there are very few. YC is a great boost in the right direction, but most people that apply won't be accepted. What should they do? Well, if they were serious in the first place, they should start their company anyway. People who want to start companies should start companies; people who just want to get into YC (and assume that they'll then be on the gilded path) shouldn't do either.
    - sneak 15y ago
      > "What are the situations where going through YC is a net minus?" and there are very few. Last I checked, doing YC requires one to live in the USA, a place that has been rapidly increasing in insanity for the last ten years or so. That's a net loss for anyone who values their basic freedoms. Then again, some value customers, cash flow, and shareholder value more than their own personal liberties, so the "net loss" calculation will vary from individual to individual -- but note well that it will probably only become more likely as the US becomes worse. Plot the points from the PATRIOT act to the TSA harassment and groping and throw _that_ graph in your deck.
deleted 15y ago
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rglover 15y ago
Just curious, is there any stigma attached to companies that apply without being 100% on everyone being able to move to the Bay Area? I personally can move, though, my co-founder is still in school (it's just the two of us). Is it better to just wait until everyone can move?
- lloydarmbrust 15y ago
  Yes. It's almost a smell test--if you can't get your team to move, are you really committed?
danberger 15y ago
Can't wait to apply to YC. In the meantime, a shameless plug: if there are any devs out there in DC or NYC who want to join this startup as a technical co-founder let me know. The early version of the product has validated the idea, we have a nice userbase, an impressive following, and deep ties to our industry, contact me - dan at danjberger.com - i'd love to chat :)
iradik 15y ago
How many two-person startups were accepted last year where one of the founders resided in sf, and the other resided in a nearby city such as Seattle? This is a case where both founders are software engineers who have already worked together closely for a sustained period.
rorrr 15y ago
How do people start up with less than $20K? That's barely enough to cover basic icorporation + lawyer + equipment + website graphic design. If you need to hire somebody professional (like sales guys), what do you do?
- emmett 15y ago
  Incorporation is basically free because YC does it in bulk, and uses their own in-house lawyer for it. Equipment is free because all you really need is your own laptop and Amazon EC2. YC companies are usually started by hackers who don't outsource graphic design, or if they do they do it cheaply because they do much of the implementation themselves. The $20k goes mostly to living expenses for the summer. You're expected to raies further capital after that. (As a side note, thanks to Yuri Milner and StartFund, you now get easy access to an additional $150k, but I can say from experience that's far from necessary)
- smiler 15y ago
  Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe YC provide an in-house lawyer for incorporation etc. They're probably expecting people to provide their own equipment, every company gets offered free hosting and they can also take a further investment if they want it
- idlewords 15y ago
  $20K is a LOT of money. You can form an LLC for a hundred bucks, lease a server for another hundred, and do your own graphic design at the outset (or hire a student for a couple of hundred). To hire a sales guy, just use the money from all the sales that are taking up so much of your time you need to hire someone else to handle them. That comes a little bit later...
  - Smirnoff 15y ago
    I wouldn't suggest creating an LLC. I think it's a standard practice to incorporate all Y-Comb companies.
    - 15y ago
mikesaraf 15y ago
Can anybody that is in or has been through YC answer these questions: How difficult and costly is it to find a place in SF for 3 months? It seems like a large part of the YC money would get used up for the founders basic living expenses. Do most YC company founders go in debt / use savings / use most of the YC money, to cover personal expenses while they do this?
- olivercameron 15y ago
  Most new founders don't live in San Francisco. YC encourages you, and rightly so, to live in and around Mountain View, where rent is much, much cheaper than the city.
  - samstave 15y ago
    I dont think it is "much, much" cheaper. GOTO Padmapper.com to take a look....
    - mikesaraf 15y ago
      Cool and very useful site, Thank You!
  - jmathai 15y ago
    It's not terribly cheaper but you can get a studio for what you can get a nice 1 bedroom apartment elsewhere.
- prayag 15y ago
  >Do most YC company founders go in debt / use savings / use most of the YC money, to cover personal expenses while they do this? For us Yuri and SV money investments covered everything and gave us enough to stash.
  - mikesaraf 15y ago
    If you feel comfortable doing so, can you share what additional percentage of equity you traded for the additional investment. (A range is fine)
zbruhnke 15y ago
PG - Quick question, Does it hurt to apply too early? like before some demos etc. are actually finished? i.e. My idea is fleshed out but some of the project the application is for is not yet, if I submit now are you guys more or less likely to take a look at it when I re-submit with updated URL's etc.?
- pg 15y ago
  Submit when you feel you're close to finished. Given that constraint, the earlier you submit the better.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
emiranda 15y ago
Is it worth applying to Y Combinator if your company is already profitable? My partner and I have a company that is generating enough profits that we are able to work full-time on it, get paid a decent salary, and still have some left over to re-invest into the company at the end of every month.
- dbul 15y ago
  http://paulgraham.com/equity.html http://paulgraham.com/equity.html
RobertHubert 15y ago
:D Thanks for the heads up! I can tell there are a lot of excited founders in here, myself included! "Looks frantically in nightstand drawer for napkin with MASTERPLAN scribbled on it" jk. I wish you all the best of luck.
tagnu_ 15y ago
Hi, a small issue in the application page. If the 'Company url' field is typed without "http:// http:// it doesn't get saved. http://example.com http://example.com (good) www.example.com (bad) example.com (bad) Is it a bug or am I doing it wrong. (Ubuntu /Firefox 6.0) thank you.
grigy 15y ago
I have two questions: 1. Do the US applicants have significant advantage over the foreign applicants? 2. Does YC help to get visa?
- zmitri 15y ago
  No and No
kevingadd 15y ago
If we have a project that we think has potential to be turned into a sustainable business, but simply haven't had enough time to be able to even identify a good co-founder candidate... should we just wait and apply next cycle once we've found someone that's a good fit? I can imagine that bringing on a co-founder type later on in development might be the sort of thing that always turns out badly, but I don't really know. It seems shortsighted to let important things like product development and identifying customers take a backseat in favor of finding a co-founder when you're not even sure precisely what you're building yet. I also find this question challenging since I applied for a previous YC with a solid co-founder who has since moved on to stable work since we got little interest from competent angel investors, so it seems like a step backward to even consider applying without a co-founder this time.
TomGullen 15y ago
We are already a registered Ltd company in the UK, is this going to cause problems? I understand you must incorporate in the USA.
- TomGullen 15y ago
  Does anyone know?
robjohnson 15y ago
From this thread, it almost seems that a founder dating section of HN would be pretty beneficial to a lot of people. Granted, there are already too many find-a-cofounder sites out there, but the caliber of people and ability to see the past posting history of a potential cofounder on HN seems to be potentially valuable.
- helen842000 15y ago
  Agreed.
TrevorBurnham 15y ago
The link to "Directed Edge's successful application video" at http://ycombinator.com/video.html http://ycombinator.com/video.html points to http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057, which in turn leads to a 404. The video can, however, be found at http://scotchi.posterous.com/directed-edge http://scotchi.posterous.com/directed-edge.

279 points by pg 15y ago

pg - if one of the co-founders who won't be the CEO lives far away on another continent, is it required that he/she show up for the interview? While I don't expect this to be a problem either way, we're just thinking of ways to minimize costs. Edit: I'm talking specifically about the interview. If accepted, we'd both come down.

spoiledtechie 15y ago
ditto
patrickod 15y ago
My co-founder and I both couldn't make it to interview. He flew out and I interviewed over a video chat via Skype. It's not a problem at all.
- Shenglong 15y ago
  Wonderful - thank you for the information!

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

bitsweet 15y ago

How many solo founders were accepted in summer 2011? Has the % accepted increased with the larger class size?

brandnewlow 15y ago
Solution: Don't be a solo founder. I spent a few years trying to go that route. It's death. Death. If you can't sell someone else on joining up, how on earth are you going to sell someone in giving you money?
- jjm 15y ago
  Solo founder can be done, but indeed it is hard. Odds are really against you but not impossible.
- rgrieselhuber 15y ago
  Solo founder here. YC S10. We have 8 people now, are well funded and making good revenues. It might not have worked for you but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
  - brandnewlow 15y ago
    Congrats! Absolutely it can be done. And absolutely I failed to pull it off by myself. That doesn't change my advice to folks to find a co-founder.
    - mindcrime 15y ago
      That doesn't change my advice to folks to find a co-founder. Right, but you're not advocating the "stop the world" and do nothing until they do find a co-founder, are you? I guess that's my point: a solo-founder isn't necessarily somebody who intends to stay a solo-founder, but are likely someone who just hasn't found their co-founder(s) yet. And I, for one, would not advocate stopping everything until you find that person (or persons).
- bitsweet 15y ago
  I can see two ways of finding partners: 1) Your existing social circle 2) Networking with like-minded strangers at meetups/community Regarding, 1, not everyone in a social circle can A) add unique value, B) be in a position to take on the risks, or C) desire entrepreneurship, perhaps being a better first employee As far as networking approach, having a good partnership surely would increase % of success. But a partnership made in haste with someone you might hardly know will surely increase the chance of failure even more so.
  - patrickod 15y ago
deleted 15y ago
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- marcomonteiro 15y ago
  Third time's a charm. Good luck. For what it's worth keep the focus on you. YC companies have changed ideas mid-term many times from what I've noticed and it seems they're entirely interested in the individual members of the team.
pg 15y ago
I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like 9 out of 64, which is a larger percentage than normal. I doubt it's due to growth though; it's probably just a fluke. (The reason it's 64 and not 63 is that two of the startups in this batch merged part way through.)
- jdunck 15y ago
  That's 14%. What % of applicants were single founders? I know you have a predisposition against singles, but that's actually higher than I would have expected.
  - pg 15y ago
    Off the top of my head, maybe half.

spoiledtechie 15y ago

Shameless plug: I want to do this 100%. I have exhausted every single person I know who codes for the passed 4 years. It pretty much comes down to "They don't want to do the work and are completely happy in their current job". If anyone is interested, I would love to be your co-founder. I have built several websites. I am experienced in both C# and Java. Ive built several Android Apps. I know DBs like the back of my hand and I have DRIVE. I have an amazing idea. Ya of course everyone says that, but I really do. Its a total niche idea and it has the ability to make money from both users and sponsors alike through subscriptions and sales from the application. I am currently iterating the idea my self through the night, but would love for someone to jump on board. This niche is supported by well over 1000 groups willing to pay good money. There is no competition to the point I want to bring the idea. I want to apply, but I am totally a Solo here. Anyone want to co-found an idea? I want someone who is 100% ready to jump in. Contact me. spoiledtechie with gmail

rokhayakebe 15y ago
Do not wait. A great cofounder is more likely to come along if you build it.
- danberger 15y ago
  Don't you think that some people would be hesitant to join a startup as a cofounder with a product already in development?
  - alain94040 15y ago
    It doesn't matter. Good co-founders are much more sensitive to the fact that you pitch your "great idea" and still haven't done anything about it -- based on experience organizing a co-founders meetup for two years now.
  - rokhayakebe 15y ago
    No. Actually these may be people who are very interested in startuping, but do not want to make the first jump.

marcomonteiro 15y ago

Here we go again, or should I say here I go again. ;)

throwaway_1971 15y ago

I would like to ask a question. We have a product. We have beta customers and it seems we will have revenue of about $30K/year (that is according to survey of existing customers). We believe the revenue should be 100M/year :) But we are not sure if we know what we don't know. We are old (in 40s) and geeks (never did any business before but we dreamed about). Does it make sense for us apply to Y combinator? Meaning what path would be the most efficient for us?

marcomonteiro 15y ago
Why not? I applied previously not so much for the money but rather the mentorship, advice and relationships that could be built. Don't sell yourselves short because your "old". Sell the fact that your mature, disciplined and responsible enough to commit to this company and bring tremendous experiences along with you.
pclark 15y ago
age is irrelevant, you should do it.
teej 15y ago
That's a big question. Let me attempt to answer it by breaking it down. > We have a product Several of the hottest companies in the last batch had been around for years before YC. Also, AirBnB. > We are old. I don't think that's an issue. Ever since the announcement of the Start Fund, YC has seen more and more seasoned founders come in. My -favorite- company in the S11 batch is a group of wickedly-smart guys in their 30s who've never started a company before. > Does it make sense for us to apply to YC? Depends. YC gives you exposure, business and investment contacts, operational help, and focus. For many companies, those things move the needle. If you're willing to give up a minuscule slice of your company to open up growth opportunities, then do it.
patrickod 15y ago
nobody in YC will ever hold your age against you. It's a complete non-issue. If you want to develop this idea then you should apply.
15y ago

marcomonteiro 15y ago

What do you guys (and gals) think about non-technical co-founders? Well at least co-founders who are barely learning to code?

pg 15y ago
The founders don't all have to be programmers, but we prefer there be at least one.
- marcomonteiro 15y ago
  Thank you PG, I really appreciate your reply. The person I have in mind is brilliant and picking up programming concepts quickly. We also work well with each other and he is someone I can count on to stick with me through the hard times.

ForrestN 15y ago

Sorry if this has been asked/answered before: is there a disadvantage to applying multiple times? In other words, is it better to wait until you are totally sure you have your strongest application, or is it worth taking the risk, and then applying again when you are further along with your project?

marcomonteiro 15y ago
I applied for Summer 11 and didn't get in and I'm still serious about what I'm doing so I'm applying again. If nothing else maybe they'll remember me and if I dont get in there's always the next session. It doesn't hurt to keep putting yourself out there. Good luck.
- nicholasjbs 15y ago
  There were multiple companies in my batch (S10) that had applied multiple times. One company had actually applied four or five times, I think.
jasonmccay 15y ago
Take the risk and apply. They are looking for brilliant people and are willing to mold and improve your idea or give you an entirely new idea if they like your team. While there needs to be a basic concept/product there, they really do count the team much higher than the idea. Go for it and good luck!
Harj 15y ago
Just apply, it makes no difference to us whether you've applied before or not.
earbitscom 15y ago
It took us two times to get in. If Harj says they don't pay attention to previous attempts, they don't.

jcarden 15y ago

I'm looking for some co-founders for the next cycle. Tried my social circles and ran into the competence and drive issue that many of you probably experienced. If you are interested we should definitely talk. Shoot me an email at carden.justin@gmail.com

acak 15y ago

I started looking for a cofounder about a month ago. I am not sure if I will find one by October 31st but the search is on. How is this evaluated on the application? Also, there was a recent clarification by the USCIS that a H1-B visa holder can work for his/her own company. Is YC cognizant of this and can it help the visa holder jump through any hoops (legal or otherwise) to be a H1-B start-up founder?

kiteloop 15y ago
Do you have a link to this USCIS clarification?
- acak 15y ago
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-immigration-a-step-in-the-right-direction/2011/08/03/gIQA2bGgsI_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-immigration-a-step...
zmitri 15y ago
They don't help you with visa stuff, you need to do it on your own. An H1B holder can work for his or her own company now, but you need lots of money (~400-500K) and need to pay a real salary (60K ish for a software engineer). The H1B is not a startup visa, perse, it's meant for established companies.

jbhelms 15y ago

I am planning on applying this round, but I have to admit that I hate making presentations, in fact I am dreading the 1 minute video I have to make for the application. I imagine that I will get over it.

bourdine 15y ago

I'm apply last year (W11) but was rejected. Now I know why - not because I'm russian, just my idea was a totally shit. Thanks PG, that you reject me. I got many ideas since last year - Startups Franchise, Help Button to any smartphones and many other, I invent new XML-format RSS+ and tons of many ohers great things. Now I got an idea, that 85% of G+ techbloggers say 'this is realy cool' because this is really cool, not because I'm think so. This is a startup, that can grow fast and make good cashflow. September, 15 Steve Blank come to Moscow and I'm pitch him with it. If him also say 'cool' I'm apply. I have a great cofounder - IP lawyer from New Delhi. We can do it, PG.

rokhayakebe 15y ago
Go Bourdine!

simondlr 15y ago

Has anyone from other countries signed up for this? Does anyone know how the visa situation is in order to work for those 3 months in the USA?

kitcar 15y ago
It varies drastically by country - see http://travel.state.gov/visa/ http://travel.state.gov/visa/
- simondlr 15y ago
  Thank you!
pclark 15y ago
there is a very knowledgeable ycombinator international mailing list. i wouldn't worry about it.

zbruhnke 15y ago

I've applied twice as a solo founder and have had no luck. If you think Sam Altman is tenacious you definitely have not met me yet. I haven't sold Obama O's like Brian Chesky and the gang but I have some stories that would be considered equally compelling by most. I founded a company and had an exit while still in college full time. I had 13 employees when I was 19, I currently work for a well funded startup with top tier investors and ship code every day. Yet even with all that said I have not managed to get to the interview round. This time around I have something a little more special in store for my application, so we shall see how this works. For me (like many others I'm sure) the problem is not selling people on the idea, it is selling qualified people on the idea. I want to bring on someone who can truly add value to the team and I want a partner not just another body. It's just finding a way to stand out on the application process that a solo founder has a hard time with, I think many solo founders don't realize exactly how hard that is when the YC staff reads through more than 2,000 apps each cycle now.

lacker 15y ago
If you are more tenacious than Sam Altman, then you should use your tenacity to tenaciously find a cofounder.
- Shenglong 15y ago
  I don't know if finding a co-founder is about tenacity. When I was looking for a co-founder for my idea, the problem wasn't finding someone who was interested or qualified - it was finding someone I thought I could work with that closely, and someone I could trust 100%. The poster is probably in a similar scenario...
- zbruhnke 15y ago
  I will without a doubt, I will have two preferably and the equity split would be equal among the founders. That said tenacity does not mean - "Acts quickly with no regard for future consequences" so I am careful and calculating with every move I make and it means everything to me that I find exactly the right person to work on this with. Passion has to be involved to a certain degree to make a startup work and as someone who had a partnership go to the wayside before compatibility and commitment are of the utmost importance for me in my search for a co-founder

simonw 15y ago

If you're still on the fence about whether or not you should reply, I suggest reading "What Happens at YC": http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html - that's the essay that convinced us to apply with Lanyrd, and it was everything the essay promised and more.

earbitscom 15y ago
The best summary I have heard of whether or not to apply is: "If you think you might need YC, you need it. If you think you might not need YC, you need it. If you are ABSOLUTELY SURE you don't need YC, you probably still do, but maybe not."
- wheels 15y ago
  I'm not really comfortable with the word "need" there since obviously most successful companies don't go through YC. It's more like, "What are the situations where going through YC is a net minus?" and there are very few. YC is a great boost in the right direction, but most people that apply won't be accepted. What should they do? Well, if they were serious in the first place, they should start their company anyway. People who want to start companies should start companies; people who just want to get into YC (and assume that they'll then be on the gilded path) shouldn't do either.
  - sneak 15y ago
    > "What are the situations where going through YC is a net minus?" and there are very few. Last I checked, doing YC requires one to live in the USA, a place that has been rapidly increasing in insanity for the last ten years or so. That's a net loss for anyone who values their basic freedoms. Then again, some value customers, cash flow, and shareholder value more than their own personal liberties, so the "net loss" calculation will vary from individual to individual -- but note well that it will probably only become more likely as the US becomes worse. Plot the points from the PATRIOT act to the TSA harassment and groping and throw _that_ graph in your deck.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

rglover 15y ago

Just curious, is there any stigma attached to companies that apply without being 100% on everyone being able to move to the Bay Area? I personally can move, though, my co-founder is still in school (it's just the two of us). Is it better to just wait until everyone can move?

lloydarmbrust 15y ago
Yes. It's almost a smell test--if you can't get your team to move, are you really committed?

danberger 15y ago

Can't wait to apply to YC. In the meantime, a shameless plug: if there are any devs out there in DC or NYC who want to join this startup as a technical co-founder let me know. The early version of the product has validated the idea, we have a nice userbase, an impressive following, and deep ties to our industry, contact me - dan at danjberger.com - i'd love to chat :)

iradik 15y ago

How many two-person startups were accepted last year where one of the founders resided in sf, and the other resided in a nearby city such as Seattle? This is a case where both founders are software engineers who have already worked together closely for a sustained period.

rorrr 15y ago

How do people start up with less than $20K? That's barely enough to cover basic icorporation + lawyer + equipment + website graphic design. If you need to hire somebody professional (like sales guys), what do you do?

emmett 15y ago
Incorporation is basically free because YC does it in bulk, and uses their own in-house lawyer for it. Equipment is free because all you really need is your own laptop and Amazon EC2. YC companies are usually started by hackers who don't outsource graphic design, or if they do they do it cheaply because they do much of the implementation themselves. The $20k goes mostly to living expenses for the summer. You're expected to raies further capital after that. (As a side note, thanks to Yuri Milner and StartFund, you now get easy access to an additional $150k, but I can say from experience that's far from necessary)
smiler 15y ago
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe YC provide an in-house lawyer for incorporation etc. They're probably expecting people to provide their own equipment, every company gets offered free hosting and they can also take a further investment if they want it
idlewords 15y ago
$20K is a LOT of money. You can form an LLC for a hundred bucks, lease a server for another hundred, and do your own graphic design at the outset (or hire a student for a couple of hundred). To hire a sales guy, just use the money from all the sales that are taking up so much of your time you need to hire someone else to handle them. That comes a little bit later...
- Smirnoff 15y ago
  I wouldn't suggest creating an LLC. I think it's a standard practice to incorporate all Y-Comb companies.
  - 15y ago

mikesaraf 15y ago

Can anybody that is in or has been through YC answer these questions: How difficult and costly is it to find a place in SF for 3 months? It seems like a large part of the YC money would get used up for the founders basic living expenses. Do most YC company founders go in debt / use savings / use most of the YC money, to cover personal expenses while they do this?

olivercameron 15y ago
Most new founders don't live in San Francisco. YC encourages you, and rightly so, to live in and around Mountain View, where rent is much, much cheaper than the city.
- samstave 15y ago
  I dont think it is "much, much" cheaper. GOTO Padmapper.com to take a look....
  - mikesaraf 15y ago
    Cool and very useful site, Thank You!
- jmathai 15y ago
  It's not terribly cheaper but you can get a studio for what you can get a nice 1 bedroom apartment elsewhere.
prayag 15y ago
>Do most YC company founders go in debt / use savings / use most of the YC money, to cover personal expenses while they do this? For us Yuri and SV money investments covered everything and gave us enough to stash.
- mikesaraf 15y ago
  If you feel comfortable doing so, can you share what additional percentage of equity you traded for the additional investment. (A range is fine)

zbruhnke 15y ago

PG - Quick question, Does it hurt to apply too early? like before some demos etc. are actually finished? i.e. My idea is fleshed out but some of the project the application is for is not yet, if I submit now are you guys more or less likely to take a look at it when I re-submit with updated URL's etc.?

pg 15y ago
Submit when you feel you're close to finished. Given that constraint, the earlier you submit the better.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

emiranda 15y ago

Is it worth applying to Y Combinator if your company is already profitable? My partner and I have a company that is generating enough profits that we are able to work full-time on it, get paid a decent salary, and still have some left over to re-invest into the company at the end of every month.

dbul 15y ago
http://paulgraham.com/equity.html http://paulgraham.com/equity.html

RobertHubert 15y ago

:D Thanks for the heads up! I can tell there are a lot of excited founders in here, myself included! "Looks frantically in nightstand drawer for napkin with MASTERPLAN scribbled on it" jk. I wish you all the best of luck.

tagnu_ 15y ago

Hi, a small issue in the application page. If the 'Company url' field is typed without "http:// http:// it doesn't get saved. http://example.com http://example.com (good) www.example.com (bad) example.com (bad) Is it a bug or am I doing it wrong. (Ubuntu /Firefox 6.0) thank you.

grigy 15y ago

I have two questions: 1. Do the US applicants have significant advantage over the foreign applicants? 2. Does YC help to get visa?

zmitri 15y ago
No and No

kevingadd 15y ago

If we have a project that we think has potential to be turned into a sustainable business, but simply haven't had enough time to be able to even identify a good co-founder candidate... should we just wait and apply next cycle once we've found someone that's a good fit? I can imagine that bringing on a co-founder type later on in development might be the sort of thing that always turns out badly, but I don't really know. It seems shortsighted to let important things like product development and identifying customers take a backseat in favor of finding a co-founder when you're not even sure precisely what you're building yet. I also find this question challenging since I applied for a previous YC with a solid co-founder who has since moved on to stable work since we got little interest from competent angel investors, so it seems like a step backward to even consider applying without a co-founder this time.

TomGullen 15y ago

We are already a registered Ltd company in the UK, is this going to cause problems? I understand you must incorporate in the USA.

TomGullen 15y ago
Does anyone know?

robjohnson 15y ago

From this thread, it almost seems that a founder dating section of HN would be pretty beneficial to a lot of people. Granted, there are already too many find-a-cofounder sites out there, but the caliber of people and ability to see the past posting history of a potential cofounder on HN seems to be potentially valuable.

helen842000 15y ago
Agreed.

TrevorBurnham 15y ago

The link to "Directed Edge's successful application video" at http://ycombinator.com/video.html http://ycombinator.com/video.html points to http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057, which in turn leads to a 404. The video can, however, be found at http://scotchi.posterous.com/directed-edge http://scotchi.posterous.com/directed-edge.