Hacker News Reader

Comment by jackowayed | Hacker News Reader

Is it just me, or are more YC companies launching early this cycle? I can count 5--Etacts, Crocodoc, Cardpool, 140bets, and Data Marketplace--that have already launched.

Is this just a product of them having more companies this cycle, something they're stressing this year, or just a coincidence?

View on HN

Actually 5/27 is probably lower than the proportion who've usually launched by this point. I must be losing my launch-nagging edge.

Are there many companies that have launched before YC? Do you encourage or discourage this?

Yes, there are quite a lot. E.g. Virtualmin, which IIRC had been around for about a year before YC. Or Airbnb, which had been for almost that long.

We don't encourage or discourage it. We care much more about how good companies are than how long they've been working.

I think the competition to be a YC company is high enough now that most companies show up the first day with an actual product.

Yeah, it's true. We definitely felt like we were playing catch-up from day 1. Not that its a competition, but I think companies benefit more from YC having a working product earlier on.

I was referring to the competition to get in.

It makes sense that if YC is getting more applications than their applicants will be better and more prepared. Several companies in this round had already produced several products, were ramen profitable, and had been operating for sometimes years previous to becoming a YC company.

They will still get lots of help. Correct me if I am wrong. I think the biggest advantage of being a YC company right now is the kind of press, reputation, and trust of investors founders might get. PG's advice is certainly valuable but their connections are the biggest deal.

I don't think you can put the value of YC in one sentence.

lots of groups switch ideas mid-session and have to start from scratch on day >1. but yes, launching early (more specifically before demo day) is quite an advantage.

The irony is that while YC is extremely useful for founders, those who get in probably need that help the least.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com