3 ms·

It would be easier to answer your question if you provided more concrete examples. The only businesses I can think of that are strictly "can technology of this

by paul 13y ago

It would be easier to answer your question if you provided more concrete examples. The only businesses I can think of that are strictly "can technology of this caliber actually exist?" are ones that likely violate the laws of thermodynamics :) There are certainly business for which YC is not a good fit though, and we generally screen them out at the application stage. In fact, most businesses aren't a good match for YC, as we are only looking for high-growth potential startups of the sort described in http://paulgraham.com/growth.html http://paulgraham.com/growth.html

carterschonwald 13y ago
How do we measure growth? Its a bit opaque (at least to me) how to evaluate the growth of an early early stage organizations where paying customers would likely be in finance, biotech, and governmental/university RnD. I agree its a bit more manageable to evaluate in b2c /b2smb / b2b cases. I guess its also for me, I've seen so many well publicized, brilliant technologically sophisticated analytical tools startups fail over the past two years, i'm just leery of how i've seen quantitative products "grow fast" too early. But seriously, how does one evaluate technology that (when positioned well) becomes a substrate for core product strategy for other organizations and entire technological ecosystems? This is a question I hope to know the answer to this spring :)
- prawn 13y ago
  How many contracts do you have signed? How many customers are you contacting and what feedback are you getting? There would be ways to evaluate progress.
  - carterschonwald 13y ago
    indeed, but bloody hell is the sales cycle for mega enterprise and government slow! :) Also I wasn't asking about how YC stuff gets evaluated, but trying to understand what concrete specific concrete explicit reasons I should apply! I have applied to YC in the past, but in the past I also knew nothing of business, was a younger idiot and had dumb ideas! :)

by paul 13y ago

carterschonwald 13y ago

How do we measure growth? Its a bit opaque (at least to me) how to evaluate the growth of an early early stage organizations where paying customers would likely be in finance, biotech, and governmental/university RnD. I agree its a bit more manageable to evaluate in b2c /b2smb / b2b cases. I guess its also for me, I've seen so many well publicized, brilliant technologically sophisticated analytical tools startups fail over the past two years, i'm just leery of how i've seen quantitative products "grow fast" too early. But seriously, how does one evaluate technology that (when positioned well) becomes a substrate for core product strategy for other organizations and entire technological ecosystems? This is a question I hope to know the answer to this spring :)

prawn 13y ago
How many contracts do you have signed? How many customers are you contacting and what feedback are you getting? There would be ways to evaluate progress.
- carterschonwald 13y ago
  indeed, but bloody hell is the sales cycle for mega enterprise and government slow! :) Also I wasn't asking about how YC stuff gets evaluated, but trying to understand what concrete specific concrete explicit reasons I should apply! I have applied to YC in the past, but in the past I also knew nothing of business, was a younger idiot and had dumb ideas! :)