6 ms·

I always find it amazing that applicants only have 10 minutes to present themselves. If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell and it would not give a tr

I always find it amazing that applicants only have 10 minutes to present themselves. If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell and it would not give a true representation as me as a person and my project - unless the nervousness factor is a key decision factor as well.

robocat 4y ago
If you can’t sell to YC, then that is an indicator you couldn’t sell to clients, nor potential employees, nor to VCs.
q-big 4y ago
> I always find it amazing that applicants only have 10 minutes to present themselves. Consider this as a strong sign that YC is looks for companies that are an "easy sell" to VCs (the same holds for products that such companies produce). You can easily guess why they want that ...
- I_am_tiberius 4y ago
  They always say that what matters most to them is the founders. How can they learn to know people in 10 minutes?
  - q-big 4y ago
    > They always say that what matters most to them is the founders. How can they learn to know people in 10 minutes? This is not (necessarily) a contradiction: they are interested in founders who can easily be marketed. ;-)
  - emptyfile 4y ago
    These kind of comments irritate me so much. They would invest in mass produced bottled Himalayan air if they thought it would turn a quick buck.
  - DethNinja 4y ago
    I think VC funds operate on the basis of greater fool theory. You don’t need a product or a capable team, you just need a shiny yuppie team, an easily marketable idea and then keep selling it to greater fools that will invest in Series B / C. I do wonder how much money has been lost by Series B / C investors in this fundamentally broken market but then again mostly likely Series B / C investors are too rich and well connected to be effected by downturns, so it balances out itself.
  - rexreed 4y ago
    What they tell you and what the reality truly is, are very different things. Venture capital is a hustle, and once you learn how to dance the hustle you can find a partner.
chrisseaton 4y ago
> If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell and it would not give a true representation as me as a person and my project How do you sell your product to customers if you aren't able to pitch it in ten minutes?
- I_am_tiberius 4y ago
  True, I guess I'm just not made for being a founder.
  - onassar 4y ago
    I think clearly and effectively presenting yourself and your idea is something you can get better at. Perhaps right now, being a founder is not the right thing for you, just like perhaps later, it will be. I think it can be helpful to be careful with how you internalize things. Thinking "I'm just not made for being a founder" could become self-fulfilling, whereas rephrasing it as "I don't have an interest in being a founder" or "Being a founder isn't right for me right now" might be more accurate.
- mojuba 4y ago
  Customers usually have more time to make a decision. When it comes to spending our own money, we ask around, we do some research by googling for independent reviews etc. before we buy an innovative product. So yes, I think a 10 minute presentation of any more or less novel/disruptive product is going to be largely a lie. Disruption is a complex process with a ton of important details. It is why as an entrepreneur you learn to use cacthphrases, all the current buzzwords that can please the investors' ears more than you actually talk about what you are building.
  - chrisseaton 4y ago
    They'll take longer over deciding to say yes. But if you're incoherent and awkward in your first ten minutes they'll probably have no issue saying no and walking away.
  - s1mon 4y ago
quadcore 4y ago
If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell Being a startup founder will give you harsher obstacles to overcome than that. The world is tough and unjust. Founding a company is not for everybody. You gota be a nerd and a tough person at the same time.

robocat 4y ago

If you can’t sell to YC, then that is an indicator you couldn’t sell to clients, nor potential employees, nor to VCs.

q-big 4y ago

> I always find it amazing that applicants only have 10 minutes to present themselves. Consider this as a strong sign that YC is looks for companies that are an "easy sell" to VCs (the same holds for products that such companies produce). You can easily guess why they want that ...

I_am_tiberius 4y ago
They always say that what matters most to them is the founders. How can they learn to know people in 10 minutes?
- q-big 4y ago
  > They always say that what matters most to them is the founders. How can they learn to know people in 10 minutes? This is not (necessarily) a contradiction: they are interested in founders who can easily be marketed. ;-)
- emptyfile 4y ago
  These kind of comments irritate me so much. They would invest in mass produced bottled Himalayan air if they thought it would turn a quick buck.
- DethNinja 4y ago
  I think VC funds operate on the basis of greater fool theory. You don’t need a product or a capable team, you just need a shiny yuppie team, an easily marketable idea and then keep selling it to greater fools that will invest in Series B / C. I do wonder how much money has been lost by Series B / C investors in this fundamentally broken market but then again mostly likely Series B / C investors are too rich and well connected to be effected by downturns, so it balances out itself.
- rexreed 4y ago
  What they tell you and what the reality truly is, are very different things. Venture capital is a hustle, and once you learn how to dance the hustle you can find a partner.

chrisseaton 4y ago

> If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell and it would not give a true representation as me as a person and my project How do you sell your product to customers if you aren't able to pitch it in ten minutes?

I_am_tiberius 4y ago
True, I guess I'm just not made for being a founder.
- onassar 4y ago
  I think clearly and effectively presenting yourself and your idea is something you can get better at. Perhaps right now, being a founder is not the right thing for you, just like perhaps later, it will be. I think it can be helpful to be careful with how you internalize things. Thinking "I'm just not made for being a founder" could become self-fulfilling, whereas rephrasing it as "I don't have an interest in being a founder" or "Being a founder isn't right for me right now" might be more accurate.
mojuba 4y ago
Customers usually have more time to make a decision. When it comes to spending our own money, we ask around, we do some research by googling for independent reviews etc. before we buy an innovative product. So yes, I think a 10 minute presentation of any more or less novel/disruptive product is going to be largely a lie. Disruption is a complex process with a ton of important details. It is why as an entrepreneur you learn to use cacthphrases, all the current buzzwords that can please the investors' ears more than you actually talk about what you are building.
- chrisseaton 4y ago
  They'll take longer over deciding to say yes. But if you're incoherent and awkward in your first ten minutes they'll probably have no issue saying no and walking away.
- s1mon 4y ago

quadcore 4y ago

If I only had 10 minutes, I'd be nervous as hell Being a startup founder will give you harsher obstacles to overcome than that. The world is tough and unjust. Founding a company is not for everybody. You gota be a nerd and a tough person at the same time.