[1] a fellow YCer says you should be networking with investors as opposed to working on product, contrary to what PG asks of you. I remember at the beginning

[1] a fellow YCer says you should be networking with investors as opposed to working on product, contrary to what PG asks of you. I remember at the beginning of my batch there were rumors of this "insider tip". Turned out that the best companies did exactly what YC said: make something people want (build product, talk to users) and stay somewhat healthy (exercise). Anything else was a time-sink: worrying about hiring, adding co-founders, interns, getting press, "networking" etc. Focus on them too early, and risk serious injury or death. These have their place .. after you make something users want. There were some good startups who were talking to investors, but they weren't "networking" as much as closing deals because they were doing so well. Also, at least 90% of our dinners (s12) were still served Oliver Twist style, not catered, unless you can cater gruel ;) Of the dinner speakers, there was one disappointment (canned speech), but most were great with the absolute highlight of Brian and Joe from AirBnB. Before dinner, PG was giddily floating around the room, every once in a while almost whistling "the AirBnB's are here". Two hours of $40 cereal boxes, rejections, troughs of sorrow, and cockroaches later, I have a crystal clear memory of the room (of 300+) going silent as Brian stated "and then we started YC". Three hours after that, when ever question was answered, I don't think anyone walked out of that room the same. For me, that is the essence of YC: the sheer energy in the air. The money's great if you need it (we didn't and it helped kill us), the network is powerful and helpful of course, the advice is often brilliant and more importantly brilliantly obvious. But the energy changes you, for many this happens in time to make their YC startup explode (in a good way). For other founders, the realization comes late. I have an inkling that Ben Silbermann will not be the only YC alum to start a billion+ dollar startup after not doing so great during YC.