3 ms·

I'd love to apply to YC, but I cannot under any circumstances move to the bay area. :(

tptacek 12y ago
Technically, you only need to be there from June-August. That said: speaking as a cofounder of a brand new company, and despite being corrosively skeptical of YC in the past, if it weren't for the SFBA prereq, we'd apply. You're right, it's annoying!
- Killswitch 12y ago
  I currently live in Chicago, moved here for my job, but my girlfriend back home ended up getting pregnant, so now I got a daughter on the way and I'm moving back home next month, and since she's got a child from a previous relationship, she has agreements with the father to not move any farther than an hour away. Because I could never ask her to move, nor do I want to be that far away from my newborn (bad enough I can't be there through the pregnancy), I refuse to move anywhere else, not even for a job. I've just got higher priorities in my life.
  - AndrewGreen 12y ago
    "my girlfriend back home ended up getting pregnant"
    - Killswitch 12y ago
      With my child, aka we were in a long distance relationship.
      - AndrewGreen 12y ago
        I'm sorry. That was a stupid comment on my part.
- _sentient 12y ago
  YC isn't just about credentials. A significant part of the value is concentrated in the Tuesday dinners and in-person office hours. Even if YC did accept remote companies, the value of the program would be greatly diminished if you didn't move to the bay. And that's to say nothing of investors, over 70% of whom are concentrated in the valley. Plus, there's also probably some signal value here for YC. If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months, you may not be that serious about your startup. It's not the strongest signal, but its impact is probably non-trivial.
  - ryanSrich 12y ago
    I feel like it has less to do with moving somewhere and more todo with moving specifically to Silicon Valley. I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business than spend it on rent in the Valley for one summer. I agree that there's value in being face to face for mentoring like this, but I just don't see why it has to be in the most expensive place to live in the U.S., especially considering the fact that you want to be saving money when starting a business.
    - kanzure 12y ago
      > I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business Penny pinching about $10k is completely irrelevant if you are hitting the growth rates that ycombinator is looking for.
  - logn 12y ago
    > If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months, ... Then you might be older than 30. I don't blame YC at all; I'd do it the same way. However, lots of the industry's demands for evidence of passion/interest/excitement are things only applicable to young people.
    - mrkurt 12y ago
      A non-trivial number of YC founders are >30, married, have kids, and don't live in the Bay when they apply. It's not that big of a hurdle. Consider how many people with similar commitments (kids, marriages, mortgages) get deployed for military purposes every year for roughly the same amount of time. It's manageable for families.
logicallee 12y ago
why? out of the things people would do for $10 million, hopping on a plane after paying $600 for it seems high on the list. . .
- Killswitch 12y ago
  See my response to tptacek
- tootie 12y ago
  Some of us have families. Although it is summer break. Also, I don't have a company or an idea.

Technically, you only need to be there from June-August. That said: speaking as a cofounder of a brand new company, and despite being corrosively skeptical of YC in the past, if it weren't for the SFBA prereq, we'd apply. You're right, it's annoying!

Killswitch 12y ago
I currently live in Chicago, moved here for my job, but my girlfriend back home ended up getting pregnant, so now I got a daughter on the way and I'm moving back home next month, and since she's got a child from a previous relationship, she has agreements with the father to not move any farther than an hour away. Because I could never ask her to move, nor do I want to be that far away from my newborn (bad enough I can't be there through the pregnancy), I refuse to move anywhere else, not even for a job. I've just got higher priorities in my life.
- AndrewGreen 12y ago
  "my girlfriend back home ended up getting pregnant"
  - Killswitch 12y ago
    With my child, aka we were in a long distance relationship.
    - AndrewGreen 12y ago
      I'm sorry. That was a stupid comment on my part.
_sentient 12y ago
YC isn't just about credentials. A significant part of the value is concentrated in the Tuesday dinners and in-person office hours. Even if YC did accept remote companies, the value of the program would be greatly diminished if you didn't move to the bay. And that's to say nothing of investors, over 70% of whom are concentrated in the valley. Plus, there's also probably some signal value here for YC. If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months, you may not be that serious about your startup. It's not the strongest signal, but its impact is probably non-trivial.
- ryanSrich 12y ago
  I feel like it has less to do with moving somewhere and more todo with moving specifically to Silicon Valley. I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business than spend it on rent in the Valley for one summer. I agree that there's value in being face to face for mentoring like this, but I just don't see why it has to be in the most expensive place to live in the U.S., especially considering the fact that you want to be saving money when starting a business.
  - kanzure 12y ago
    > I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business Penny pinching about $10k is completely irrelevant if you are hitting the growth rates that ycombinator is looking for.
- logn 12y ago
  > If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months, ... Then you might be older than 30. I don't blame YC at all; I'd do it the same way. However, lots of the industry's demands for evidence of passion/interest/excitement are things only applicable to young people.
  - mrkurt 12y ago
    A non-trivial number of YC founders are >30, married, have kids, and don't live in the Bay when they apply. It's not that big of a hurdle. Consider how many people with similar commitments (kids, marriages, mortgages) get deployed for military purposes every year for roughly the same amount of time. It's manageable for families.

logicallee 12y ago

why? out of the things people would do for $10 million, hopping on a plane after paying $600 for it seems high on the list. . .

Killswitch 12y ago
See my response to tptacek
tootie 12y ago
Some of us have families. Although it is summer break. Also, I don't have a company or an idea.