5 ms·

YC: What No Means

61 points by niels 19y ago

Alex3917 19y ago
"OK, you may not have the same structure, advice, networks and extra cash that Y Combinator provides, but maybe that shouldn't stop you." Everyone always talks about the mentoring and the connections from Y Combinator, but no one ever mentions the story. I think YC itself has a compelling story, one that's authentic but also fun to talk about. If you get funded it's the kind of thing that makes for 'sparkling' conversation at cocktail parties, as a way of talking about the program but also indirectly talking about yourself. Which is probably why YC is quickly becoming a household brand. Even my mom read the article in Newsweek.
- alaskamiller 19y ago
  I think whatever YCombinator does to help startups is covered under NDA.
  - palish 19y ago
    Why do you think so?
    - alaskamiller 19y ago
      For one, Demo Day is definitely NDA-ed. Other stuff, the business and marketing help that JL provides or the technical help that PG provides, those would also be considered under NDA, unless it's generic enough that sharing such information wouldn't hurt the startups. YCombinator's interest is in the exit of the companies it funds. It's from that money that they can continue to do this year after year. Giving away everything in the farm doesn't help them do that. As much as everyone makes sharing and collaborating such a big deal, here in Silicon Valley people are actually pretty mum about their plans. Put it another way: if someone insists on talking to you about startups and whatnots around here, it's cause you're getting pitched.
      - pg 19y ago
        We don't have any NDAs. We ask people in the audience at Demo Day not to write about the startups that haven't launched yet. I believe that is the only thing we ever ask anyone not to talk about. Some of the startups may have their individual secrets. We try to keep them if they do. But they decide that.
catfish 19y ago
Years ago when Garage.com was starting up, I applied and was rejected. No big deal as I was expecting it, but it did get me a signed rejection letter from the big "Guy" himself. As a beta tester it was a very nice gesture, to receive that letter with the comment "Prove us wrong!" hand written as a P.S. to the form letter. That letter hangs in a frame and every day I use it to remind myself that the only person that needs to believe in me, is me. Today, many years later, I thank my lucky stars for that rejection. I went it alone, no co-founders, no frigging investor BS, and did not take a dime from anyone. This year the 17 employees of MY privately held company drove our sales to 61 million dollars in online transactions. The satisfaction that comes with proving investors wrong can't be bought, only earned. Those that can, DO. Those that can't, find an investor.
- whacked_new 19y ago
  This is good stuff. I hope more people get to read this, and please keep sharing.
- jsjenkins168 19y ago
  Wow. This is up there with the more compelling examples of perseverance I have heard. Thanks for sharing your experience, you give everyone hope.
- rams 19y ago
  Awesome. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing. BTW, are you the talking about Bottom Feeder, the news aggregator ?
- gscott 19y ago
  Sometimes being tenacious and shear force of will is all that is required. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it work.
- nanijoe 19y ago
  "Those that can, DO. Those that can't, find an investor." ..You mean those that can't such as Google and Youtube?

61 points by niels 19y ago

"OK, you may not have the same structure, advice, networks and extra cash that Y Combinator provides, but maybe that shouldn't stop you." Everyone always talks about the mentoring and the connections from Y Combinator, but no one ever mentions the story. I think YC itself has a compelling story, one that's authentic but also fun to talk about. If you get funded it's the kind of thing that makes for 'sparkling' conversation at cocktail parties, as a way of talking about the program but also indirectly talking about yourself. Which is probably why YC is quickly becoming a household brand. Even my mom read the article in Newsweek.

alaskamiller 19y ago
I think whatever YCombinator does to help startups is covered under NDA.
- palish 19y ago
  Why do you think so?
  - alaskamiller 19y ago
    For one, Demo Day is definitely NDA-ed. Other stuff, the business and marketing help that JL provides or the technical help that PG provides, those would also be considered under NDA, unless it's generic enough that sharing such information wouldn't hurt the startups. YCombinator's interest is in the exit of the companies it funds. It's from that money that they can continue to do this year after year. Giving away everything in the farm doesn't help them do that. As much as everyone makes sharing and collaborating such a big deal, here in Silicon Valley people are actually pretty mum about their plans. Put it another way: if someone insists on talking to you about startups and whatnots around here, it's cause you're getting pitched.
    - pg 19y ago
      We don't have any NDAs. We ask people in the audience at Demo Day not to write about the startups that haven't launched yet. I believe that is the only thing we ever ask anyone not to talk about. Some of the startups may have their individual secrets. We try to keep them if they do. But they decide that.

catfish 19y ago

Years ago when Garage.com was starting up, I applied and was rejected. No big deal as I was expecting it, but it did get me a signed rejection letter from the big "Guy" himself. As a beta tester it was a very nice gesture, to receive that letter with the comment "Prove us wrong!" hand written as a P.S. to the form letter. That letter hangs in a frame and every day I use it to remind myself that the only person that needs to believe in me, is me. Today, many years later, I thank my lucky stars for that rejection. I went it alone, no co-founders, no frigging investor BS, and did not take a dime from anyone. This year the 17 employees of MY privately held company drove our sales to 61 million dollars in online transactions. The satisfaction that comes with proving investors wrong can't be bought, only earned. Those that can, DO. Those that can't, find an investor.

whacked_new 19y ago
This is good stuff. I hope more people get to read this, and please keep sharing.
jsjenkins168 19y ago
Wow. This is up there with the more compelling examples of perseverance I have heard. Thanks for sharing your experience, you give everyone hope.
rams 19y ago
Awesome. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing. BTW, are you the talking about Bottom Feeder, the news aggregator ?
gscott 19y ago
Sometimes being tenacious and shear force of will is all that is required. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it work.
nanijoe 19y ago
"Those that can, DO. Those that can't, find an investor." ..You mean those that can't such as Google and Youtube?