4 ms·

One of the things I have heard a lot of founders say when asked if they are considering doing YC is that they are already "down the road" with their company - a

by pclark 15y ago

One of the things I have heard a lot of founders say when asked if they are considering doing YC is that they are already "down the road" with their company - as in, they have already launched, or have customers, or investor attention. I know dozens of startups that went through YC at this stage, and they will all reiterate how beneficial YC was for them. If you're running a startup I really cannot think of a singular reason as to why you wouldn't apply. (the biggest testament to this is probably the YC alumni doing YC again with their new company.)

davidwhodge 15y ago
Seconded.
jarek 15y ago
> If you're running a startup I really cannot think of a singular reason as to why you wouldn't apply. Nitpicking: No interest in moving to the Bay Area would seem to be one.
- achompas 15y ago
  This has been addressed ad nauseum in the past: you don't have to move to the Bay Area to join YC. Lots of YC companies spend the summer in the Bay, then move back to continue working.
  - jarek 15y ago
    Nitpicked on my nitpick, deservedly. Make that: No interest in moving to the Bay Area for three months would seem to be one.
- pclark 15y ago
  I question what reasons someone would have to be unwilling to move to the Bay Area for 3 months given the amount of founders that claim that YC was the tipping point for their companies.
  - jarek 15y ago
    Your business being based on strong personal relationships with people/businesses local to you is the first one off the top of my head. Strong geographical ties (family, etc) of the founders/employees is second. YC probably wouldn't be interested in funding such a startup, and rightly so for them. But there's loads of startups that aren't YC's niche, all of them swept away by your statement I quoted.
  - mindcrime 15y ago
    I question what reasons someone would have to be unwilling to move to the Bay Area for 3 months given the amount of founders that claim that YC was the tipping point for their companies. OK, just to give one example... my co-founder is married, and her husband is in graduate school. So either he'd have to interrupt his education to come with her, or he'd have to accept her running off to the opposite side of the country for three months, chasing a dream that he might or might not be fully sold on. We honestly haven't had the discussion yet, but my gut feeling is that this would be a very hard sell. And YC make it clear that they expect all (or at least a majority) of the co-founders to make the trip. Also, we have a local incubator (Triangle Startup Factory) that is (potentially) an option for us, which would not require any relocation at all. Given that, it's not exactly a "no brainer" to apply to YC. I'm not saying we won't do it (either now or in a future cycle) but it's not necessarily an easy decision.
    - sneak 15y ago
      All of life is trade-offs. Aside from that, though: Who can't live alone for 90 days? Seriously? When Virgin America NYC/SFOs are sub-$200 roundtrip?
      - mmavnn 15y ago
        Aside from that, though: who values their start up more than their marriage? Seriously? Snark apart, some of us have a priority order that places family above work - even good, interesting, start up work. I'd never choose to live apart from my spouse for 90 days.
      - 15y ago
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
EGreg 15y ago
I'm not sure if we should apply. We already did three times and were rejected. It kind of put us off psychologically, because we really felt we matched what YCombinator says they look for. This is from last year: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2426118 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2426118 Since then, we have raised a little over $100k in our first round, increased our team, and got 20,000 people using us daily out of 200k (lifetime) installs. We applied and explained everything -- but again just got a form letter a couple months later. So now we are up to 40k daily users, and out of 600k installs, about 200k people keep our apps and use them (just not daily). We are about to generate profit. We are talking to investors about a 5mil pre money valuation. I am wondering what is the point of applying to YC again ... can anyone who has been in a similar situation tell me what your experience was?
- ebaysucks 15y ago
  Have you discussed with your investors how they feel about you selling 2-10% of total equity at a valuation of at best 20% of what they are offering?
  - pclark 15y ago
    Hopefully their investors are savvy enough to understand that the YC experience would more than justify any of those details.

by pclark 15y ago

davidwhodge 15y ago

Seconded.

jarek 15y ago

> If you're running a startup I really cannot think of a singular reason as to why you wouldn't apply. Nitpicking: No interest in moving to the Bay Area would seem to be one.

achompas 15y ago
This has been addressed ad nauseum in the past: you don't have to move to the Bay Area to join YC. Lots of YC companies spend the summer in the Bay, then move back to continue working.
- jarek 15y ago
  Nitpicked on my nitpick, deservedly. Make that: No interest in moving to the Bay Area for three months would seem to be one.
pclark 15y ago
I question what reasons someone would have to be unwilling to move to the Bay Area for 3 months given the amount of founders that claim that YC was the tipping point for their companies.
- jarek 15y ago
  Your business being based on strong personal relationships with people/businesses local to you is the first one off the top of my head. Strong geographical ties (family, etc) of the founders/employees is second. YC probably wouldn't be interested in funding such a startup, and rightly so for them. But there's loads of startups that aren't YC's niche, all of them swept away by your statement I quoted.
- mindcrime 15y ago
  I question what reasons someone would have to be unwilling to move to the Bay Area for 3 months given the amount of founders that claim that YC was the tipping point for their companies. OK, just to give one example... my co-founder is married, and her husband is in graduate school. So either he'd have to interrupt his education to come with her, or he'd have to accept her running off to the opposite side of the country for three months, chasing a dream that he might or might not be fully sold on. We honestly haven't had the discussion yet, but my gut feeling is that this would be a very hard sell. And YC make it clear that they expect all (or at least a majority) of the co-founders to make the trip. Also, we have a local incubator (Triangle Startup Factory) that is (potentially) an option for us, which would not require any relocation at all. Given that, it's not exactly a "no brainer" to apply to YC. I'm not saying we won't do it (either now or in a future cycle) but it's not necessarily an easy decision.
  - sneak 15y ago
    All of life is trade-offs. Aside from that, though: Who can't live alone for 90 days? Seriously? When Virgin America NYC/SFOs are sub-$200 roundtrip?
    - mmavnn 15y ago
      Aside from that, though: who values their start up more than their marriage? Seriously? Snark apart, some of us have a priority order that places family above work - even good, interesting, start up work. I'd never choose to live apart from my spouse for 90 days.
    - 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

EGreg 15y ago

I'm not sure if we should apply. We already did three times and were rejected. It kind of put us off psychologically, because we really felt we matched what YCombinator says they look for. This is from last year: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2426118 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2426118 Since then, we have raised a little over $100k in our first round, increased our team, and got 20,000 people using us daily out of 200k (lifetime) installs. We applied and explained everything -- but again just got a form letter a couple months later. So now we are up to 40k daily users, and out of 600k installs, about 200k people keep our apps and use them (just not daily). We are about to generate profit. We are talking to investors about a 5mil pre money valuation. I am wondering what is the point of applying to YC again ... can anyone who has been in a similar situation tell me what your experience was?

ebaysucks 15y ago
Have you discussed with your investors how they feel about you selling 2-10% of total equity at a valuation of at best 20% of what they are offering?
- pclark 15y ago
  Hopefully their investors are savvy enough to understand that the YC experience would more than justify any of those details.