akharris

16 ms·

121.
by akharris 8y ago
I like that distinction. I find that the best "non-contextual" advice is best when delivered as a model for how to think about a given problem, where the answers are more evidence/examples than diktats of what to do.
122.
by akharris 8y ago
There's certainly a significant amount of context dependence on the amount of advice that's "right" for any given situation. I think the important thing is to make sure you know that there is an "enough" rather
123.
by akharris 8y ago
I often find myself telling founders "you're the boss, you decide." This is a core operating principle for how we think about advice to startups at YC.
124.
What to do with too much advice(blog.ycombinator.com)
118 points by akharris 8y ago|38 comments
125.
by akharris 8y ago
We try to never make funding decisions based on what's currently hot. We invest in founders who we think are excellent and who are building for long term outcomes. In this case, we've known Saurabh for years (this is the second ti
126.
by akharris 8y ago
Our hope is that we can limit as much of the BS as possible while helping companies and investors focus on the parts that matter. Doing that should increase the rate at which YC cos get quality As done.
127.
by akharris 8y ago
That's heavily dependent on the company. There's a wide range that varies because of stage, market, required milestones, team, etc. Overall, though, the companies coming out of the A program will raise significantly more than they
128.
by akharris 8y ago
Important question. We think signaling is a tricky subject, especially with the number of VCs investing in As. There's a lot to unpack there, which I'll write about in the future. For YC - we're thinking actively how to preve
129.
by akharris 8y ago
From YC? No. Not sure what you mean by the second question. Are you asking about the size of seed rounds vs. A rounds?
130.
by akharris 8y ago
Not dumb at all. It's something we thought about a lot. The program is just for YC companies, though we'll continue to release information and learnings for other people.
131.
by akharris 8y ago
We think this is going to be an interesting new way for companies to raise their A rounds. Here to answer any questions people have about it.
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Y Combinator Is Hiring a Series A Program Manager(jobs.lever.co)
1 points by akharris 8y ago
133.
by akharris 8y ago
That's a great response. If the investor is someone you do want to get to know, it doesn't hurt to set some time 3-6 months into the future for a short chat.
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by akharris 8y ago
There is - it's possible to miss your window. This usually takes the form of a company that has figured out how to start scaling revenue, does not take advantage of the leverage, and then plateaus as a function of not having the capita
135.
by akharris 8y ago
"Failing" was intentional. Both words would be true, but in this case I'm pointing out that the metrics do not guarantee the round.
136.
by akharris 8y ago
This is one of my favorite words. I almost never find a way to correctly work it into a sentence, so was happy I managed to do so here.
137.
by akharris 8y ago
All VCs are willing to give you a checklist of what they're looking for. I've never seen a VC actually willing to fund solely based on a checklist of objective metrics. This doesn't change based on region.
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by akharris 8y ago
The time horizon definitely differs based on what you're trying to do, and the industry in which you're trying to do it. We've seen that our hard tech companies tend to need more money and time before producing meaningful mil
139.
Why it's hard to answer “when to raise a series A”(blog.ycombinator.com)
183 points by akharris 8y ago|51 comments
140.
by akharris 8y ago
I think that you can ask for advice, but do so in specific context with a clear indication of when you plan to raise. During the meeting, ask the investor to help you in a concrete way. You learn a lot about interest based on what the inves
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by akharris 8y ago
Happy to answer specific tactical questions here. This is the kind of thing that seems easy until you dig into the details on actually doing it.
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Process and Leverage in Fundraising(blog.ycombinator.com)
86 points by akharris 8y ago|10 comments
143.
by akharris 9y ago
No, it's great. However, if you're building a seed deck with which to pitch investors, it probably isn't what you're going for.
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by akharris 9y ago
I love finding the counter examples because they keep me optimistic about what is actually possible, even if it isn't likely.
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by akharris 9y ago
Depends on what it takes to close each section of the deal, and what you're working on in the interim.
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by akharris 9y ago
We did.
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by akharris 9y ago
You're absolutely right. Thanks for flagging it. This is something that founders should pro-actively surface and address ahead of a financing whenever and wherever relevant. This is something we're working on advising founders to
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YC's Series A Diligence Checklist(blog.ycombinator.com)
329 points by akharris 9y ago|60 comments
149.
by akharris 9y ago
One of the fun things about advice is that you'll find things that seem in direct opposition, even from people who generally agree. In this case, though, context is critical. PG's point here is around startups that have been aroun
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by akharris 9y ago
So glad you like my photos! I totally agree with your feelings around social media. I don't actually use it much, for many reasons, but a big one is that I don't want to feel as if I'm taking pictures to get likes. It is far

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