Getting in to YC
blog.zactownsend.com
blog.zactownsend.com
That confirms to me that saying of PG that goes something like this "95% of the applications have no chance at all to get in and there is 5% that have really good chances", in oposition to thinking that everyone has the same, tiny chance of getting in.
That haunts me. I sure ain't not in the 5% with really good chances - solo founder, not a developer, not working on a hot startup, not sold my own startup. But I like to think I am not in the 95% either - I am smart, I make things happen, I create things, people believe in my success, I really consider myself relentlessly resourceful, even if good code is not among these resources yet. What haunts me is that maybe this later part is only wishful thinking.
Before that I already sold it to two clients, but sounded strange to me "ask the check" in advance. They agreeded to pay for it, but didn't pay yet. But now that is built, I will deliver, and if they aprove, they will pay.
Not the perfect answers to your advices, but I thinks it is good enough.
Not to be all doom and gloom, but one of pg's top advice points is that each co-founder should be someone you already know (and are hopefully at least acquaintances with, preferably friends with) before the startup is put down on paper. Building a startup from scratch is hard, and you need to do it with someone you're comfortable spending a ton of time with. All the co-founders need to be on the same wavelength and need to communicate well and frequently.
I don't know your circumstances, or where you found said freelance developer, but seeking out someone just to help develop some of the ideas you have is usually not the way to go to make a company. To make one product, perhaps, but probably not a company.
So what do i do? Don't build a company? No, i hire a good frelancer, see if it works out fine. Then i offer a fulltime job, hopefully with the revenue of the startup. If this turma out fine, then he becomes a co-founder and CTO.
But working on a "hot startup" in Brazil won't happen and "sell my startup", well, I am trying to build one. I will never cover all my bases, but you are right, maybe YC isn't for me. That's not that bad either, I can do without. But I can't deny that I want it very badly.
I am back into creating a start up with a cofounder that works perfectly with me. We use to work together a long time ago and everything just feels a lot easier/right this time round. We also have enough funding for a year to get this business to be self sustainable.
I'd like to think our chances of getting into YC are very high now but we won't be applying. I guess my point is that for everyone that applies and doesn't get in, don't worry about it and don't change your plans! If you are with the right person and have solid evidence that your business has potential, then whether you are in YC or not won't change things.
There is a steep learning curve to this whole startup thing and it seems to me that everyone is required to make a lot of the same mistakes until something just clicks in your brain. I can't guarantee that my current startup will be a success but the chances are ridiculously higher than ever before.
Off topic and at the risk of offending anyone this reminds me of what Playboy used to be known to do with women who came for photoshoots for the first time. The women were incredibly nervous and legend has it that other alumni playmates would always be around to make them feel comfortable and at home.