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Comment by Timothee | Hacker News Reader

In 2010, I got accepted and kicked out of Y Combinator, lost my cofounders, and raised $1.5M from A-list investors

Sounds like it was more "our team was accepted even though they had no idea what I was up to, I subsequently lost my cofounders, and Y Combinator revised their decision based on that."

I'm surprised that YC accepted "them" after meeting just one of the co-founders. Also, what is not very clear is why he went by himself to get money and how he continued the company by himself without his cofounders. Meaning that it sounds like it's just that they didn't want to move to SF with a week-notice, not that they gave up completely on the startup...

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I came to SF the first time by myself because I was the hustler in the group. I talked to my team members every day. They knew I was in SF talking to investors and they knew I was interviewing for YC. They just hadn't heard of it until I was already doing the interview.

As to how I was able to continue, as I explain in the article, they spun off a t-shirt printing business that we had been running. It was a more predictable business. Less risky for them. More of a 9-5 thing with a steady income.

To be fair, they still believed in the business. They just didn't want to tattoo it across their face and sell their first born son like I want to.

what's your asking price for your first born?

That's what I'm wondering, I bet there's good money in child-flipping. You know buy a 3 month old, get them to the walking+talking phase and boot them off to someone willing to drop top dollar.

(FYI for the downmodders: that's what's called a sick joke)

well, thanks for posting that publicly: there goes the idea for my YC '12 entry.

Not at all - ideas are worth nothing, but if you can prove the execution you're good to go. So own the idea, go forth, and execute some kids better than anyone else.

You'll all be out-marketed by a company run by Amy Chua.

Ah, but she only seems to deal with kids beyond the walking-talking phase, so there's potential for a partnership supplying her with kids for her to mentally whip into later life therapy.

I smell the potential for a vertically integrated megacorp.

That, or a sitcom.

Isn't this what daycare centers are about? Buy-store-sell is economically equivalent to leasing out storage space, after all.

It better not be very expensive. Jon is not a good looking man.

Yeah, but my wife's cute. ;)

Considering that couples pay up to 5 figures for private adoptions in Canada, the question may be less silly than one would expect. :)

Speaking of advertising on your face - it exists - saw this the other day - http://billythehumanbillboard.blogspot.com/

I'm surprised that YC accepted "them" after meeting just one of the co-founders

This was the first time we had a late application process and I made the mistake of not insisting that Jon submit an application form. That would have surfaced the issues much earlier. We've since established that we won't fund anyone without them filling out an application form and meeting all co-founders in person.

Congrats to Jon, that's a fantastic list of investors to have.

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