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At this point, I wonder if it wouldn't make sense to require a demo along with the application? As I recall, virtually all of the summer interviewees had demos
by walterk 18y ago
At this point, I wonder if it wouldn't make sense to require a demo along with the application? As I recall, virtually all of the summer interviewees had demos, which gave them a significant advantage over other applicants. If YC only continues to get more competitive, I assume there will be no practical downside to requiring a demo, as the few applicants without a demo that are competitive with the top applicants with a demo are presumably not worth wading through all of the other no-demo apps.
Or there might be some other way of capturing them.
(Disclosure: I'm a no-demo applicant.)
- ram1024 18y agoAs an attempt to defend my no-demo application, i think requiring a demo is a poor route to take. I just found out about YCombinator ten days before the deadline. i can see merit to reducing the number of applicants to sift through, but i think erecting such a significant barrier-to-entry isn't the way to accomplish it.
- walterk 18y agoFwiw, I'm also a no-demo applicant. But odds are odds, and if last summer's less competitive round tilted almost exclusively in favor of applicants with demos, in virtue of the fact that they had demos, then we're de facto excluded from the process anyway.
- ram1024 18y agoit's okay though. i have faith that really great ideas backed by great people <cough> will persevere despite the tilted odds. i'm sure you feel the same way, if we weren't dreamers we wouldn't be here. may fortune smile upon the applicants who aren't selected, i hope you don't ever give up.
- siong1987 18y agoPrototype is something that can help to express your idea better. But, it really contradicts with what everyone always said - the best idea is the idea that can be expressed in one sentence or fewer words.
- trevelyan 18y agoIt also demonstrates a minimum level of competence.
- morphle 18y agoI have a demo because my startup is allready in operation for months. But what is a demo? The technology I demo is very special, but will Ycombinator spot that in a minute? I doubt it, it needs a person presenting the demo. If it is very obvious how good the technology is (it is!), we would not need to apply anymore.
- rms 18y agoyou may get an interview without a demo but a demo is basically required at the interview.
- walterk 18y agoRight, except my point is that, last summer, you basically needed a demo just to get the interview.
- niels_olson 18y agoI suspect that says more about the applicant pool than the choice of fields in the application.