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For me it's obvious that rejections are often born out of a very high bar, limited capacity to take on startups and the limitations of human foresight. It woul

For me it's obvious that rejections are often born out of a very high bar, limited capacity to take on startups and the limitations of human foresight. It would be one of the more difficult tasks for me to imagine ever being upset at YC for a rejection (Got my 4th tonight, no stranger to it). If this was your first or second, don't worry , it gets better. I can honestly say I've never felt closer to success and making progress than I do as I, every six months, write up a summary of where I'm at, where I'm going and then compare it with the previous series of rejected applications. Heck next time I could see myself easily with an actual website and customer base, or, if I get lucky, with a co-founder - how novel would that be? So grow, YC, do it in a way where you don't loose your soul. And hey, if I never get in...well I'm in enough... I'll make it. That's one of the best feelings. I know that it may look nothing like I presently imagine, but I'll make it. That's the beauty of malleable but relentless dreaming. Now someone call Hollywood, er Kickstarter, I've got a killer idea for a film about two co-founders in the valley, 'Dotcom Quixote de la Big Chanca' and 'Sancho "the Ramen" Panza' as they go tilting at Heroku Dynos and courting Aldonza Horowitz aka "Andreesenea". :)

exo_duz 12y ago
Would love to read your summaries if you have them posted somewhere. Would be a great learning curve for me as this was my first rejection (planning for more ;P)
- VaedaStrike 12y ago
  I've found the best single thing that's helped me, both in terms of conciseness, product and effort focus, and gaining empathy for my target audience, is to see what I can cut out and what I can simplify. Focusing is seemingly among the most important, and often most difficult, tasks. But I'm just some repeat offender/y-comb reject.
  - exo_duz 12y ago
    Focus is always the key. Without it you cannot achieve what you want without getting distracted. Another hint which I often receive is to always narrow your market as much as possible. You can always expand later.

exo_duz 12y ago

Would love to read your summaries if you have them posted somewhere. Would be a great learning curve for me as this was my first rejection (planning for more ;P)

VaedaStrike 12y ago
I've found the best single thing that's helped me, both in terms of conciseness, product and effort focus, and gaining empathy for my target audience, is to see what I can cut out and what I can simplify. Focusing is seemingly among the most important, and often most difficult, tasks. But I'm just some repeat offender/y-comb reject.
- exo_duz 12y ago
  Focus is always the key. Without it you cannot achieve what you want without getting distracted. Another hint which I often receive is to always narrow your market as much as possible. You can always expand later.