In particular, is the following still true?
> Q: Can you apply to YC with just an idea?
> Yes. We accept companies at a wide range of stages into the batch. Cruise, for example, had been working on their idea for just two weeks when they applied to YC.
and
> Q: Can you apply if you haven’t launched?
> Yes. Fewer than half of the companies we fund have launched before they apply.
Looking at the list of YC companies in the recent batch, it seems like many of those companies have significant traction by demo day, significantly more so than YC companies in batches from a few years ago. Obviously, there are many factors that may contribute to this:
1) Advances in development tools as well as SaaS for startups: e.g. Stripe, Stripe Atlas, Clerky, etc.
2) YC's brand name / perceived value has gone up + YC's deliberate outreach efforts. This could mean more and better companies are applying to YC so the bar has gone up.
But even controlling for those factors, it seems like many of the current companies are still further along by demo day compared to previous batches. Are there any examples of YC W18 companies that applied pre-traction or at the idea stage?
I guess the more common question than
> Q: Is YC just for early stage companies?
is probably
> Q: Is YC just for companies that have already found product market fit / have shown traction?