Having been on both sides of this, ran a YC startup and now running a "lifestyle" SaaS business, the honest reality is that both have their risks/rewards. I wou

Having been on both sides of this, ran a YC startup and now running a "lifestyle" SaaS business, the honest reality is that both have their risks/rewards. I wouldn't trade anything for the experience + network I received from being a part of a YC batch. But bootstrapping a business and going from $0 to $1 is also just as exciting for me as well right now. Most likely for my next business, I will be re-applying for YC again. The best note that I saved that someone else wrote: Know What You Want. Do you want to build a lifestyle business? Do you want to grow into a company with employees? Do you want funding? An exit? You should figure these things out. Decide your own goals, don’t let someone decide it for you.