3 ms·

Hamilton is a great guy and I think the thinking behind his acceptance to YC is pretty clear ... "Let's give him a chance. He's succeeded at everything else he

Hamilton is a great guy and I think the thinking behind his acceptance to YC is pretty clear ... "Let's give him a chance. He's succeeded at everything else he's ever done in life."

pitt1980 14y ago
so is have multiple Harvard degrees the answer to how to get into YC as a single non technical founder?
- Jd 14y ago
  Nope, it is to have multiple Harvard degrees, worked at top law firm, run a company, been featured in a magazine article, and already built a product that has paying customers.
  - fitandfunction 14y ago
    + be a banker in HK
  - pitt1980 14y ago
    so how helpful is an article that says the real key is to just generally be awesome at everything? True or false, the people who get into havard are the people who don't need to go to harvard? the people who get into YC, are the people who don't need YC?
    - fitandfunction 14y ago
      It helps to set expectations. Getting into YC as two MIT undergrads who've been coding since kindergarten is very hard. Getting in a solo business founder is much harder. So, if you don't have a track record of doing incredible stuff, you should a) calibrate your expectations, and b) start doing incredible stuff (and apply later)
      - pitt1980 14y ago
        I think the better take is to not treat YC as the gatekeeper to your success, 1. Its hard to get into 2. tons of great companies have been started that didn't go through YC (in fact with a few exceptions almost all of them) 3. its a great opportunity, but most of the companies that get into YC, don't amount to jack just getting in doesn't mean you've made it, and there is no reason you can't make if you don't calculus is similar to what I'd tell a high school kid about going to Harvard, if you happen to get to go cool, its a great opportunity, but you shouldn't treat that as the gatekeeper to your success
- fitandfunction 14y ago
  It's not merely the degrees and accolades that are impressive, it's also the fact that the decided he wanted to revive his family's printing business. His results speak for themselves, and almost as importantly, his decisions show an independence streak and willingness to break with the herd and win in his own way. This is something every founder needs to get through the trough of sorrow.
  - posabsolute 14y ago
    I agree with you, for me I found his background very impressive event without the Harvard stuff, it shows he is dedicated, not afraid to take risks, and move where his carrer taken him I mean, good for him, I'm not surprise he was taken in
fitandfunction 14y ago
I suggest that getting into YC as a solo business founder should be called "pulling a Hamilton." I hope to pull a Hamilton.
- thmcmahon 14y ago
  I think that might have other less desirable connotations.

Hamilton is a great guy and I think the thinking behind his acceptance to YC is pretty clear ... "Let's give him a chance. He's succeeded at everything else he's ever done in life."

pitt1980 14y ago

so is have multiple Harvard degrees the answer to how to get into YC as a single non technical founder?

Jd 14y ago
Nope, it is to have multiple Harvard degrees, worked at top law firm, run a company, been featured in a magazine article, and already built a product that has paying customers.
- fitandfunction 14y ago
  + be a banker in HK
- pitt1980 14y ago
  so how helpful is an article that says the real key is to just generally be awesome at everything? True or false, the people who get into havard are the people who don't need to go to harvard? the people who get into YC, are the people who don't need YC?
  - fitandfunction 14y ago
    It helps to set expectations. Getting into YC as two MIT undergrads who've been coding since kindergarten is very hard. Getting in a solo business founder is much harder. So, if you don't have a track record of doing incredible stuff, you should a) calibrate your expectations, and b) start doing incredible stuff (and apply later)
    - pitt1980 14y ago
      I think the better take is to not treat YC as the gatekeeper to your success, 1. Its hard to get into 2. tons of great companies have been started that didn't go through YC (in fact with a few exceptions almost all of them) 3. its a great opportunity, but most of the companies that get into YC, don't amount to jack just getting in doesn't mean you've made it, and there is no reason you can't make if you don't calculus is similar to what I'd tell a high school kid about going to Harvard, if you happen to get to go cool, its a great opportunity, but you shouldn't treat that as the gatekeeper to your success
fitandfunction 14y ago
It's not merely the degrees and accolades that are impressive, it's also the fact that the decided he wanted to revive his family's printing business. His results speak for themselves, and almost as importantly, his decisions show an independence streak and willingness to break with the herd and win in his own way. This is something every founder needs to get through the trough of sorrow.
- posabsolute 14y ago
  I agree with you, for me I found his background very impressive event without the Harvard stuff, it shows he is dedicated, not afraid to take risks, and move where his carrer taken him I mean, good for him, I'm not surprise he was taken in

fitandfunction 14y ago

I suggest that getting into YC as a solo business founder should be called "pulling a Hamilton." I hope to pull a Hamilton.

thmcmahon 14y ago
I think that might have other less desirable connotations.