I have a serious Girl friend of 5 years and a full time job to take care of all my student loans. $80,000.00 worth of loans. I live over in Florida and wonder do you think if I have a great idea, that I should do this.
I would either have to keep my girl back at home for the summer or take her and our dogs with me.
Do you think its viable to do so? To live on the $5,000.00 for the summer?
If I were to quit, does that mean that I will be unemployed or do I receive a check like employment from YC?
YC hand out a cheque when you accept their offer. That's it until you secure other funding or revenue.
Doing a startup is a (significant) lifestyle choice. So if your GF is on board with that, and is happy a part of it, then just apply. If not, then you've got some bigger issues to wrestle with.
If you do get accepted stretch the resources as far as possible! Find roommates and eat like a poor man(do not go out to eat)!
Why don't you do your startup now from home, grow it a little and see if its a viable model, and then apply when you start getting some traction?
Because right now you are talking about uprooting your whole life over a 1-2% chance of success.
The relationship math is simple as well. After five years of dating, you're probably getting to the point where you are going to get married or break up. If you think you are going to get married, why would you uproot your life with a full time job when you are in debt?
YCombinator is not a silver bullet to start up success. Work on something from home in your spare time. Find out more about your talent for this type of thing.
Trial by fire :D
I love my wife, and I know she loves me too. And part of the reason I know that is because I was broke as hell on the second iteration of my first startup when we met. I crashed at her apartment and ate her food while I built my prototype.
She put up with it, she must love me :)
Add a fudge factor, cause shit happens.
An exercise in startup leadership :D
At the end of the day, do what makes sense to you and your values. Good luck!
If you come to YC for the Summer will you:
a) finish up with a working product ready to take to the next level
b) at that point then be able to afford to move home or ship the GF out
c) still be with the GF in the Autumn should you not go to YC
d) are unable to get the project off the ground from where you are
Yes? Then try it :)
(err and also: have you asked what the GF thinks? that seems the first port of call... :))
But managing two households at once on $5,000.00 that YC offers is hard work. I would be eating ramen all the way for the entire summer.
Whats the percent chance that your actually profitable after 3 months worth of work.
Is there any reasons the GF cant come to the bay with you?
EDIT: cheeky but does the GF have any hacker skills to become a cofounder?
Starting a startup is a huge commitment, potentially a lifelong one depending on your idea.
If you're even slightly unsure (which you seem to be), you should perhaps maybe think about it some more, or start it up from where you are.
I'm not trying to make you depressed or anything mate, but when things aren't going according to plan and everything goes wrong (as things can do with startups) you still have to be willing to give it 110%
So yeah, read some of the advice in this thread but really sit down, have a LONG HARD think about it. If you're prepared to make sacrifices (which there will inevitably be, it's your choice what they will be though) - then make a decision.
She has to focus on getting optimal grades, you have to focus on your startup -- maybe hyperfocusing on separate challenges and then re-uniting will be best for the relationship in the end?
"Toughen up Tinkerbelle"
"Grow a pair, son"
"Who wears the pants in your relationship?"
"Just do it" (proudly swiped from Nike)Remember that the $5,000 +$5,000n is an investment in YOUR COMPANY, not a paycheck. That money is meant to cover the founder's living expenses during the YC round. I think you will have a hard time using that money to live off of and support your GF.
If your GF can get a job and support herself (either while still going to school or by taking a semester off) I would say go for it. But if the only way is to send money back to FL then you are hurting your chances of succeeding, and I would find another way.
However you sound a bit more like me. I'm 30, married, with $60,000 of student loans and a car payment living in Mountain View. In case you don't know what expenses are like out here, let's just say $5000 wouldn't even cover my loan payments + rent for 2 months. You will not find a decent one-bedroom under $1500. You can do better if you cram yourselves into an efficiency or get roommates, but just FYI, I got a 30% raise to move out here and I've never felt poorer. Given your situation, your runway will be shorter than most, but if you are good, that may be the extra drive you need to get something up and fundable in under 3 months. Me? I'm bootstrapping from someplace cheaper when I leave my current startup. I see the YC model as more appropriate for those with no experience, no connections and no responsibilities.
Good luck.
I see the YC model as more appropriate for those with no experience, no connections and no responsibilities.
I see that I have all three....
g = Girlfriend.find(:all).last
a = YCapp.create(:term => 'Summer 09', :name => 'spoiledtechie')
if a.accepted
g.propose
self.move('SF')
g.move('SF') if g.fiancee
endif a.accepted self.move('SF') g.stay('FL') || g.move('parents') end
If you really wanna be in the silicon valley tech scene -- it's a good place to network about your startup idea -- start applying for jobs out there. You'll make way more money than you're making now and you can still work on your idea nights/weekends. You'll probably find a co-founder and some advisers out there and have a better chance of getting serious funding than you'd have in Florida.
Is she willing to find employment and pay some of the bills if she lives with you? How fast do you have to pay off your loans? Have you looked to see how good a living situation SF affords you? It's an expensive place.
I agree with menloparkbum: Apply either way. If you're accepted, then decide further.
which is about 5k