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I think part of the issue with focusing on applying to YC is the filter. It is much easier to get a job or get funded if you are not competing with others and a

by larrys 15y ago

I think part of the issue with focusing on applying to YC is the filter. It is much easier to get a job or get funded if you are not competing with others and are only evaluated on your own merits. (Or to get a date for that matter. Would you rather be in a room competing with other guys/gals or just on your own making a pitch?) To many people decide to line themselves up and be compared. It can make more sense to separate from the pack and be creative and pitch other likely sources. It's not about getting into YC. It's about getting your idea off the ground and getting funded. If all you have is the wherewithal or creativity to apply to YC or Techstars etc you aren't an entrepreneur. I got a job in tech years ago at a valley company that I was in no way qualified for by getting in an airplane and flying to a trade show in CA to walk the floor and meet with sales managers. I had no competition. Even though I was only marginally qualified for any position at this company I got a job.

alexhaefner 15y ago
I definitely understand the response. If you have to ask if you're an entrepreneur, if you have to even think about it, you're not. I get that. However for someone like me it's not so simple. I have two years of school left in the midwest. I have little interest in finishing school. But I came from a blue collar town and so I have no connections, and a lot of school debt. So I work on my projects at night, and classes during the day. I get internships in the bay, and continue to build and iterate on what I've made. I have no intention of stopping at YC, or just building these projects to fluff up a resume. I do both of these things because they are worthwhile to me. But realistically, I can't just leave school and start a business, because my loan debt would kill me and my business. Without some sort of connection to funding I'm dead in the water. So I will continue to build my personal projects with my co-founder, and use them to learn and work towards having a sustainable business that someone wants to fund. I'd be curious to hear your feedback.

by larrys 15y ago

alexhaefner 15y ago

I definitely understand the response. If you have to ask if you're an entrepreneur, if you have to even think about it, you're not. I get that. However for someone like me it's not so simple. I have two years of school left in the midwest. I have little interest in finishing school. But I came from a blue collar town and so I have no connections, and a lot of school debt. So I work on my projects at night, and classes during the day. I get internships in the bay, and continue to build and iterate on what I've made. I have no intention of stopping at YC, or just building these projects to fluff up a resume. I do both of these things because they are worthwhile to me. But realistically, I can't just leave school and start a business, because my loan debt would kill me and my business. Without some sort of connection to funding I'm dead in the water. So I will continue to build my personal projects with my co-founder, and use them to learn and work towards having a sustainable business that someone wants to fund. I'd be curious to hear your feedback.