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Thats a cool proposition, something to consider for those of us who dont get accepted YC. However, I think 99% of the experience founding a startup is from the

Thats a cool proposition, something to consider for those of us who dont get accepted YC. However, I think 99% of the experience founding a startup is from the fact that it is based on YOUR idea, not someone elses. From that comes the insane relentless drive to push the limits. I would have a hard time programming 20 hours a day for weeks on end for an idea I was not involved in creating. I do think its cool he would be willing to fund your personal idea after the work period. But then you lack the mentoring/community/networking aspect of YC which I think is more important than the actual funding (at least in the very early stages). Best of luck to him though on recruiting some quality hackers.

dshah 20y ago
I would disagree with your thesis that 99% of the experience is based on pursuing your idea. Many entrepreneurs start companies for reasons other than pursuing their own idea. Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup. I'd also posit that when finding co-founders, you are in a sense finding someone that will help you execute your idea (and that makes them no less of an entrepreneur).
- andreyf 20y ago
  "Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup." Will people really get the opportunity for that, though? If the idea isn't "theirs" in the sense that it was (more or less) handed to them as something to work on for you, will they feel the same freedom to change or modify it as they would with their own startup? And isn't that flexibility a necessary component for a startup's success? It's a delicate psychological issue... as students, we've been very much conditioned to respond to an authority figure (teacher, boss), and if you don't want to fall into that role, you should be consciously careful not to.
- nostrademons 20y ago
  "Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup." But those are the people that work for startups, as early employees. And they can frequently make more than $15K from it. The folks applying to yCombinator are typically those that either don't want to be employees or have already been employees and decide they want to move on. They wouldn't even have a yCombinator app if they didn't have their own ideas. If you want someone to work on your idea, you have to compete with the hundreds of other Boston-area startups that are now hiring.
andreyf 20y ago

dshah 20y ago

I would disagree with your thesis that 99% of the experience is based on pursuing your idea. Many entrepreneurs start companies for reasons other than pursuing their own idea. Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup. I'd also posit that when finding co-founders, you are in a sense finding someone that will help you execute your idea (and that makes them no less of an entrepreneur).

andreyf 20y ago
"Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup." Will people really get the opportunity for that, though? If the idea isn't "theirs" in the sense that it was (more or less) handed to them as something to work on for you, will they feel the same freedom to change or modify it as they would with their own startup? And isn't that flexibility a necessary component for a startup's success? It's a delicate psychological issue... as students, we've been very much conditioned to respond to an authority figure (teacher, boss), and if you don't want to fall into that role, you should be consciously careful not to.
nostrademons 20y ago
"Some simply like the control, autonomy and culture of a startup." But those are the people that work for startups, as early employees. And they can frequently make more than $15K from it. The folks applying to yCombinator are typically those that either don't want to be employees or have already been employees and decide they want to move on. They wouldn't even have a yCombinator app if they didn't have their own ideas. If you want someone to work on your idea, you have to compete with the hundreds of other Boston-area startups that are now hiring.

andreyf 20y ago