Please don't write a motivational or demotivational post about how you didn't get into YC, how you're going to give up or soldier on, with or without them, how you didn't need their help anyway, etc.
That is all. Thanks. ;-)
PS: instead, simply refer to this one from last year: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=550351
PPS: No, notifications haven't gone yet, and a YC alum advises me that they will all go out in a single batch.
I broke just about every rule of thumb that typically applies to startups, and my company took a while to get off the ground as a result, but we are cash flow positive, 100% founder owned and growing like gangbusters.
YC is not the only way to go, and most of the "rules for startups" can be broken. If you want to start a business and have a decent shot at building a substantial amount of wealth, there are plenty of other less-glamorous, less-publicized, less-competitive ways to do it.
Screw that. Write what you want. If people like it, they'll upvote it.
Erlang day getting taken too far is a great example of this type of failure happening in the past.
EDIT: That being said, I definitely think it's possible to do feedback on YC rejections in a positive way. I'd just like to be careful about a mob getting triggered regarding rejections.
truth. for instance, so far 26 people have up-voted this ridiculous post of swombat's
Please do write a motivational or demotivational post about how you didn't get into YC. I think every cycle it's useful to hear people's impressions, thoughts, and experiences and feel a sense that it's not just you who runs into brick walls sometimes.
I think it's a great thing to see how encouraging the community is in these cases--- your post might just inspire someone else to go after their life dreams even without help from the "establishment".
I am all for preserving HN's sanctity, and I agree with and appreciate most of the points you make. But your tone makes the whole thing sound almost exclusively like "losers, please keep your rejection sob stories away from HN". I wonder how rejected applicants will take your well-meant advice. Rejection has a human angle, and refusing to acknowledge that people respond to it in (seemingly) irrational ways doesn't help those who need encouragement, validation, or just knowledge of the fact that they are not alone. How is asking other hackers 'which web framework to use?' any 'better' than asking other YC applicants rejection related questions, given that this is effectively the only public YC forum? - anuraggoel
I agree that the examples you've got there wouldn't be very valuable. But I think that hearing about the process from a rejected applicant standpoint might be useful to people who want to apply in the future, and this might dissuade someone from posting something like that.
Seriously, though. I promise to take you to all the YC events (they usually welcome alums), so you'll get that experience.
We are still a 5 person team, so you will get the startup experience.
We will pay you, but you can still eat Ramen if you'd like.
See more details here: http://wepay.theresumator.com/apply/waxuor/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ouOkNeBS4
"And this is a bright bunny, and..." :D
I completely sympathize with him, though :) We didn't have quite that many takes, but it felt like it.
http://blog.directededge.com/2009/09/30/on-applying-to-y-com...
PG has said in the past that the most compelling argument you can make to investors is that you're going to keep forging ahead, with or without them. At the end of the day, YC are investors too.
It would seem like the best approach would be to apply with a better version of your original app, because that illustrates that you are persistent (you weren't just looking for an idea to get in with) and can improve upon the initial concept. Best case scenario, IMO, your idea is the same but with more traction (I'm assuming of course there is/was a prototype involved).