Because of the storm we're pushing the YC application deadline back to Friday | Hacker News Reader

Because of the storm we're pushing the YC application deadline back to Friday

230 pointspg50 comments

The deadline is now November 2 at 8 Pacific time. Please bear with me while I change the date everywhere.

Interestingly, my application is mostly going to be based on the storm itself, so this is excellent. Thanks :)

We've collected more than 100,000 atmospheric pressure readings of Sandy so far and they're still coming in through pressureNET, our open source Android app.

Hey, I am one of those who have installed PressureNET. Where can I see analysis of data that you guys collect?

Thanks for running pressureNET! Whenever we show some data analysis, you can bet it will be on our blog at http://cumulonimbus.ca. However, you'll note that there's not much there so far. For the majority of the life of the project, we haven't had enough data to do anything interesting with it. Now, however, especially with Sandy (we gained 1,400 users yesterday alone), our data will be of immense value. We're working with a couple of researchers at universities (U Washington, and McGill) to best use and analyze the data. The answer to your question, though, is:

You can see our data by purchasing our weather prediction app that we'll build at YC this Winter. ;)

[Side note: we also plan on building a web version with a nice HTTPS API so that you can access the backend yourself. However, there are severe privacy issues to solve first and we're still working on that. Sorry about the delay, but until we find funding, pressureNET is a free-time-only project that moves a bit slowly]

[Edit: For pressureNET contributors like yourself, by the way, I plan on giving the predictions away for free. Anyone who does not/cannot contribute would have to buy the app. Or something like that]

Thanks! Good to know, and best of luck Jacob. I am not really a programmer, but I hope this leads to more accurate weather prediction.

> U Washington

Cliff Mass, I assume?

Installee as well. Good luck and awesome idea with great timing.

Interesting! Where is the open source code? Can we contribute to the backend and frontend design?

I posted this as a separate submission, but it didn't seem to catch on. Since this is the only hurricane-related post on the front page, I'm going to add it here: startups, apply to YC and keep your change until you're making money. Those of you who have some money to spare, however, please consider donating to the Red Cross. Here is a link to the disaster relief donation page:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&i...

Excellent. Perhaps you meant our storm? This one? http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc-bin/tc_home2.cgi?YEAR=2012&...

IMPORTANT: Hi everyone, I'm a french guy who applied to YC because I want to move to the Bay area to launch my start up. Feeling concerned about what just happened in the east coast with Sandy, I would like to go to NY and help out, maybe with friends too. I contacted the american consulate in my city who might help. This message is to ask you all for some financial support. I need to raise money to get there and help as much as possible. Depending on the amount raised, I'll either bring people along or go by myself. I have lived there in the past so I should have friends able to provide accomodation. Any help will be appreciated, as well as any amount. Maybe YC could handle the money management so you guys know where the money is going, or I can give my Paypal account. If not enough money is raised, than it'll be given to local organisation (reimboursing would be a bit complicated). Come on guys and let's start the YC SANDY PROJECT! Thank you all for support

Why New York and not somewhere like Haiti that really needs your help?

I thought about it, even New Jersey, but it is much easier and less expensive for someone like me from abroad to go to NY, where I have friends who can supply with accomodation. Also I have lived there so I know the city which makes it much easier too. Depending on what happen, I'll definitely make sure the other areas get a part of what we raise. Thanks

Are the results also pushed then? Thanks

We're not currently planning to change that, no.

Ok thanks that's good to know. I take the opportunity to say how sorry I am for those who might be suffering from Sandy. I wish I was there to be helping. God bless

Thanks pg!

I expect another strong YC class this session. We've submitted our app already, but I am happy those on the east coast aren't denied by something out of their control.

Will there be any collateral impacts for those of us who submitted before the deadline? In terms of time spent reviewing applications, etc.

Incredibly generous of you. My friends on the east coast who have intermittent power will be stoked to hear of this news.

Speaking as someone who isn't part of this run, and therefore is sort-of-impartial, I think you're doing the right thing, and I'm really glad you're giving these people some breathing room during difficult times.

If nothing else, you'll get a crop of /really/ disaster-aware backends.

Most popular answer this year for 'Name something you hacked'

- 'Submitted my YC application despite the storm' :)

"Hummed my application to YC through a harmonica, Trimline phone, and an AOL Dialup account - during a hurricane!" ;)

Though in all seriousness, I think this is a nice touch PG. In the poll thread people seemed to have jumped into the shark take a little too quickly. Compassion is an important virtue and its nice to let people deal with their current crisis without worrying about getting their application in.

This seems like a positive move considering people in parts of the East Coast don't have an internet connection right now.

Will the reviews process will be pushed back too? Good luck to everyone applying.

Application for what?

The Erlang versus Haskell UAV dogfighting tournament.

Nice, you actually made me laugh.

Please make this happen.

1v1 or team vs team?

Applications for the Winter 2013 funding cycle of YCombinator:

http://ycombinator.com/apply.html

http://ycombinator.com/atyc.html

http://ycombinator.com/faq.html

Hope everyone in NY / east coast is safe. About the application, submitted it in first week itself. Could not afford to keep it up for the last day.

We managed to submit by tethering through my cellphone right before the date change. Good thing to have a working backup option.

Well done YC for putting people before business.

Very considerate of YC to do that.

Thank you pg !

AM or PM?

8pm PT: http://ycombinator.com/apply.html

But that still says Oct 30th, so it hasn't been updated

it's updated now

Awesome! Our team already applied but NYC is shut down for at least 2 days. Would have been hard to film a video if the subway is shut down and we couldn't meet up.

I don't know how many of you have internet, but you could use Google Hangouts to record a video. My new Co-Founder happens to live in Chicago (I'm in San Diego) and that's how we got it done.

Don't know why but this popped into my head.

Arnold mindfucks Lou Ferrigno right before they hit the stage for the Mr. Olympia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwtL2KPPc1k

"They should have it in a month for him. But then I have another month too."

Ludicast, go home, you're drunk.

But for real, what is this? Redeem yourself.

Not sure why it isn't clear and/or was downvoted "to Bolivia". I'm right now in Queens with wife/baby/spoiled-food/no-heat/no-power at home so don't give me that "too soon to joke" crap :).

The video is a funny scene from a classic movie about a fringe culture. Arnold is playing with Lou Ferrigno's confidence.

Arnold says that they should have extended the Mr. Olympia contest (the deadline) because Lou (the competing startup) still needs to get in shape. Arnold then pours more salt on the wound by saying that on second thought Lou would still lose because Arnold (the venture-backed, TC-covered startup) would also have that extra time (extended deadline).

Arnold was actually a funny guy way back before he thought teachers/cops/fire/ems should get less benefits and Hitler was "admirable".

Btw I do think the extending the deadline is a great thing but didn't vote for/against it because it helps me, and I passionately believe in not voting about things that are in my personal interests.

I'm not sure I understand why you won't vote for something that is in your best interest -- you prefer not to help yourself?

Because I'm a neurotic jew* so I disqualify myself from the jury as biased.

* after writing this I just realized you're a founder of phaxio, and therefore a YU Grad :)

Ha, yup YU Grad here. Everybody in the jury is biased...the key is to collect information and make the best possible decision.

Do agree about apriori biased jury but since most of the people voting for extension are unaffected/unbiased that margin spoke loudest. Plus I control my own destiny more than some arbitrary date divinely hurled from the California clouds.

Kind of a debate class thing. I prefer to argue to the Aramaic death about things I don't care about.

Getting into YC isn't really a competition, at least according to what pg has said publicly many times. They'd be happy to take as many qualified companies as they can, and the real problem is that sometimes qualified companies are masked by incompetence at presenting themselves in the written app and the interview. Which is why it's so awesome that Gleb and others have put together guides to the process.

I think those guides are awesome. It's not a straight up competition, but I believe if two similar startups are doing something very cool but one is more polished, it will make the other one look less impressive.

Sort of like that line of George Costanza: "If you're funny and he's funny, then what am I? A short bald guy with glasses who suddenly doesn't seem so funny."

This is very much consistent with YC's cardinal principle not to fund bad startup, and not to miss good ones.

At the core, many folks forget that it is their own startup and foundation upon which they should focus, not whether the competition is strong.

Believe it or not (I'm mostly trolling with the video) I agree 100% and touched on this in the competitor/fear section of my application the other day.

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