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This is good advice. I've interviewed with YC 3 times. I practiced rapid fire questions about my then business from multiple angles with multiple different peop

This is good advice. I've interviewed with YC 3 times. I practiced rapid fire questions about my then business from multiple angles with multiple different people. It's a 10 minute conversation, the first two times it was worth 150k and the last time was worth 500k. (Not counting the intangibles and immense benefit to later stages of the business) Not practicing would have been a mistake. Anticipating the types of questions we were going to be asked and prepping in a series of mock interviews with a few different YC founders who have also experienced the interview help to make the answers reflexive and such that we could steer the conversation to our strengths. We didn't get in, but it wasn't our ability to talk about the business that did us in, based on our feedback. Practicing for high stakes one offs helps you keep things tight and see weak spots before actually having to do the thing.

Jensson 4y ago
> the first two times it was worth 150k and the last time was worth 500k > We didn't get in How was your interview prep worth money if you failed anyway?
- unixgoddess 4y ago
  i think it means that the business deal would have brought in that amount of money if successful, not that he paid it for training. it was worth training because of all the money he could have received.
  - bruce343434 4y ago
    > could have received. But he didn't
    - cbloom 4y ago
      If I somehow had the opportunity to do one of those things where you get one attempt at making a three-pointer for a million dollar prize, then I'd be well served by shooting a few over the week leading up to the event. I'm still unlikely to make the shot on the day but the expected value of the time spent on those practise shots is still definitely going to be worth it
      - lupire 4y ago
        But would you practice tying your shoes instead of shooting the shot? Poster said they they failed for reasons other than their Q&A. Maybe they should have spent less practice on window dressing and more on substance. We don't know.
        pcthrowaway 4y ago
        I assume that meant VC didn't think their idea was lucrative enough, despite loving their pitch.
      - LanceH 4y ago
        Having had this shot at a sold out college game (for a more modest $500), it's weird playing under those very bright lights, against a glass backboard and the people filled stands behind it. Hard to practice that. Thank goodness it wasn't for $1million.
      - yamtaddle 4y ago
        If someone later described that prep, after failing the shot, as having been worth any amount of money, I do think that would be pretty weird, even if technically there might be some (difficult!) way of valuing it at some fraction of the $1m, according to whatever percent-likelihood chance improvement the pep afforded.
        ianbutler 4y ago
        Sorry, the prep isnt worth money, the 10 minute conversation if successful was worth those amounts
- 908B64B197 4y ago
  > How was your interview prep worth money if you failed anyway? You can learn a lot from failure, and from the conversations and practice runs leading to the interviews.

Jensson 4y ago

> the first two times it was worth 150k and the last time was worth 500k > We didn't get in How was your interview prep worth money if you failed anyway?

unixgoddess 4y ago
i think it means that the business deal would have brought in that amount of money if successful, not that he paid it for training. it was worth training because of all the money he could have received.
- bruce343434 4y ago
  > could have received. But he didn't
  - cbloom 4y ago
    If I somehow had the opportunity to do one of those things where you get one attempt at making a three-pointer for a million dollar prize, then I'd be well served by shooting a few over the week leading up to the event. I'm still unlikely to make the shot on the day but the expected value of the time spent on those practise shots is still definitely going to be worth it
    - lupire 4y ago
      But would you practice tying your shoes instead of shooting the shot? Poster said they they failed for reasons other than their Q&A. Maybe they should have spent less practice on window dressing and more on substance. We don't know.
      - pcthrowaway 4y ago
        I assume that meant VC didn't think their idea was lucrative enough, despite loving their pitch.
    - LanceH 4y ago
      Having had this shot at a sold out college game (for a more modest $500), it's weird playing under those very bright lights, against a glass backboard and the people filled stands behind it. Hard to practice that. Thank goodness it wasn't for $1million.
    - yamtaddle 4y ago
      If someone later described that prep, after failing the shot, as having been worth any amount of money, I do think that would be pretty weird, even if technically there might be some (difficult!) way of valuing it at some fraction of the $1m, according to whatever percent-likelihood chance improvement the pep afforded.
      - ianbutler 4y ago
        Sorry, the prep isnt worth money, the 10 minute conversation if successful was worth those amounts
908B64B197 4y ago
> How was your interview prep worth money if you failed anyway? You can learn a lot from failure, and from the conversations and practice runs leading to the interviews.