Applications for YC S2015 Are Open | Hacker News Reader

Applications for YC S2015 Are Open

ycombinator.com

154 pointsphilip120972 comments

Free idea:

"Our startup wants to change the world by reselling the free $500K in Azure services [1] to outsiders for half-off, then liquidating itself. This may not be a 'traditional YC play', or 'scalable', or even 'honest', but we'll give YC half the loot (approximately $100K) and don't even require the traditional investment/convertible note. Just tell Microsoft we're a YC company! Oh, and let us know whether you like the name 'Azurbatrage' or 'Arbitrazure' better. Stretch goal: resell all the unused Azure capacity of our classmate companies – 50X the profit opportunity."

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9023582

Better idea, make a script that can spin up Azure instances and mine Bitcoins on them. Then build a web app on top of it that will liquidate Azure credits to cash as a service. When someone dumps their credentials into your site you spin up $500,000 of computing power on Azure to mine Bitcoins from and then liquidate the Bitcoins you mine into cash and take like 15% off the top.

I'm not sure what the conversion rate of Azure computing dollar to mined Bitcoin would be, but this would work to some extent with $500,000 wouldn't it? What YC company wouldn't want a Azure -> cash liquidation web app.

"At Arbitrazure, we are of course open to any idea for converting free Azure credit to cold hard cash. But our research indicates that without special mining chips, Bitcoin mining is not competitive, and $500K of Azure per month (15,000 'A1' VMs) would take 8-16 years ($48-$96 million) to earn one Bitcoin ($225). That's why we remain committed to resale, rather than direct exploitation."

Ha.

As a solo founder, is it worth the time to apply if I don't already have a finished product and significant traction?

P.S. I know many people would suggest to find a cofounder, but that hasn't worked well for me. In my area there aren't many experienced programmers with an entrepreneurial spirit. The few people I have tried to start something with usually fall through due to not being able to keep up. I'd rather stop wasting my time with the hunt and start just building something by myself.

The process of applying is valuable in and of itself. It will force you to clearly communicate your idea and what potential it truly has. You'll likely refine your idea alone through the application process. Don't plan for the downside, rather, "act as if" and churn out the best possible application.

My favorite way of looking at it is via the advice given here[1]: you need to be outstanding in at least one of the following: the idea, team, or traction. As a solo founder with no traction, it is therefore reasonable to conclude that you would have to have a remarkable idea.

[1] http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/20/how-to-write-a-winning-y-c...

Drew Houston applied as a single founder with no product or traction, so yes :)

Several years ago when there were less applications and he got turned down initially...

And also fewer partners reviewing applications. He was turned down for a previous batch because he applied with a bad idea (SAT test prep), not because he was a single founder. If we would now pass on DropBox, something has gone very wrong. I can't believe I have to argue this point...

With all due respect, the reason you might have to argue the point is probably because even back in 2007 the application page said:

     The people in your group are what matter most to us. [...] Your idea is important too, but mainly as evidence that you can have good ideas

And Drew was passed up because his idea was bad (not given a "we like you more than your idea" option). It seems like a skating to where the puck is and not where it's going kind of thing.

YC probably won't miss out on a DropBox that looks like a DropBox, but you might miss out on a Drew Houston that eventually creates a DropBox.

Certainly my impression of everything that pg has said is that solo founders have the odds stacked heavily against them when it comes to YC acceptance. I'm surprised that you're surprised that's what we all believe.

Everyone has the odds stacked against them. Successful founders are by definition outliers. If we didn't accept solo founders, we wouldn't bother having them apply.

My group was rejected last time (I'm assuming) because the founders hadn't physically met and because of a lack of prototype.

Now the founders have met (the group of founders has actually received an addition of an elec. eng) but we still don't have a prototype. Hopefully it works out this time around.

It's Dropbox, the "b" is lowercase :)

OoPs :)

I would fix, but the edit link is gone :(

Apply and show them how you will make things work out no matter what. Also, the idea shouldn't be a 'barbershop' idea like PG says. It should have a large TAM. I think that is all that really matters.

Yes, it's worth the time and effort. I was a solo founder and was invited for an interview. Regardless of outcome, the process is a healthy step forward.

My response to you would be "Why not?" "What do you have to lose?" "You never know until you try". The fact that they have accepted solo founders should be a reason in of itself to apply because there's a chance and I don't know about you but as a solo founder myself that chance is completely worth it. Even without acceptance there is so much to be learned from this process. Just filling out the application itself gets you thinking about aspects of your idea and/or startup that you didn't really consider or think of before.

I agree. in the early stage you have nothing to loose. You need to try everything that has the possibility to help your business! Also with every thing like Ycomb and others each time you put your product forward you are refining your pitch.

I'd think so. Most companies that apply have neither a finished product or traction, and the application might just help you clear things up in your head.

Filling out the application probably won't hurt, but I'm more curious if there is any chance of actually getting in. I'm not a stanford grad or an ex-googler so I would assume that combined with the fact that I'm solo founder would make my chances more or less 0. The only way I could see actually getting into YC at this point with my situation is to have an already successful company.

Try it. You don't need to be an ex-googler or Stanford grad to be good at what you do. Be passionate, and convey your expertise and skills or lack of, in the application. Keep on working on your startup, although getting into YC would be helpful it does not come with instant success.

If you want advice or someone to read over your application, I'd love to. My email is in my HN profile.

I tend to think that if your general attitude is to not even take the time to try, and instead keep focusing on the potential for failure, then no... it is probably not worth your time.

Or phrased in a more well-known way... whether you think you can, or think you cannot, you are correct.

Same problem here ... at least my wife can act as CFO/HR ...

Yes, start building something yourself and stop looking for a co-founder for the wrong reasons. http://foundrs.com/find-a-cofounder :

"Solo founders usually fail because they are bad at convincing anyone of anything. Artificially adding a co-founder will not change that critical personality trait: are you charismatic enough to lead?"

While having a co-founder might indicate you have trouble convincing people of things, or that you have no desire to do so, it's also the case that having a co-founder is no indication at all that you do have the ability to persuade.

I'd be willing to bet more co-founders than not are the people who happened to be close by and were the path of least resistance for each of them to move forward. Entirely possible there was no convincing, leadership, nor charisma involved.

I think YC would expect you to be a bit more earnest in your efforts to find a cofounder, e.g. move somewhere with higher concentration of talent and ambition. Solo founders are seen as risky to fund by YC, so what could you do to mitigate that risk? Finish something, and show traction.

Just apply, spend 30 mins, and get done with it. And then get back to whatever you were doing. Don't stress over application or forming an ideal team. This will just happen over time as a by-product.

How do you guys deal with conflicts of interest? For instance, suppose hypothetically someone is building a startup who's goal is to eat the company who's CEO is in your list of YC partners... How's that going to work?

From the FAQ:

Will you fund multiple startups working on the same idea?

Yes. If you fund as many companies as we do it's unavoidable you'll end up with some overlap. Even if you tried not to accept competing companies, you'd still get overlap because startups' ideas morph so much. The way we deal with it is that when two startups are working on related stuff, we don't talk to one about what the other's doing.

In practice it has not turned out to be a problem, because most big markets have room for several slightly different solutions, and it's unlikely that two startups would do precisely the same thing.

That's a start but the GP wasn't asking about competing entrants in the same batch but about a theoretical entrant that would compete with an established YC partner.

Umm I think that was a more general comment. And the reason that makes up the later part of the answer sounds very general and applies to the GP's question.

"The way we deal with it is that when two startups are working on related stuff, we don't talk to one about what the other's doing."

This seems easier to do with two startups in the same batch than with a new startup and an existing YC partner, although I suppose they could use the same approach.

Don't know about YC, but most funds don't invest in competing companies, and sometimes the strategy can even be broader: "don't invest twice in the same area".

For example if you already have an investment in email application, you will opt-out from similar investments in the future.

Well. Now I'm completely terrified.

I've been working on a project for about 8 months, with about 3 months on-going after a decision to re-write and reign in focus, with YC as a major end goal the entire time. Now that it's actually time to apply I'm extremely nervous—especially since I'm an 18-year-old kid who hasn't even finished high school yet (1 semester left) and I'm competing with people twice my age and with several hundred times more experience. We're quite close to a major beta release so that should help the process along.

Is there anything somebody in my (and my co-founders) circumstances should seek to convey in order to increase our chances of getting accepted? I've read quite a few articles on the best application type, but none of them had a "What to do when you're completely unproven and also extremely young" section.

I'm not twice as old as you, but I've been feeling old for a while now, so I'll give this a shot. I'm going to start by pretty much channeling Paul Graham.

If you're close to a major beta release, make sure that happens on time and as smoothly as possible. Then, as Paul Graham says, know your users. Talk to them, email them, Skype them late at night and into the wee hours of the morning. That's where expertise matters the most and where you're on equal ground with everyone else. I don't know anything about your users yet either. Well, I might know a tiny bit by accident because I worked on something similar. So go learn more than me.

To quote PG: "This class can teach you about startups, but that is not what you need to know. What you need to know to succeed in a startup is not expertise in startups, what you need is expertise in your own users.

Mark Zuckerberg did not succeed at Facebook because he was an expert in startups, he succeeded despite being a complete noob at startups; I mean Facebook was first incorporated as a Florida LLC. Even you guys know better than that. He succeeded despite being a complete noob at startups because he understood his users very well."

Beyond that, I would say expect there to be what feels like near-death business/startup experiences.

If you run into trouble, great! That means you're doing something right. It isn't like school where if you prep enough, everything should be smooth sailing. You're not going to be able to ever prep enough and everything should feel chaotic. If it all goes really well, it is possible that you're super oblivious.

It is ok if things aren't going that well. Treat all the lows like team bonding. If you're lucky this won't be the last or worst of it all and nothing kills a startup like a cofounder who is only in it for the good times.

I'm in a similar position as you, still in high school. I've applied before and did not need to convey anything special to be taken seriously.

Would love to talk sometime. Email is in my HN profile.

I'd love to apply to YC, but I cannot under any circumstances move to the bay area. :(

Technically, you only need to be there from June-August.

That said: speaking as a cofounder of a brand new company, and despite being corrosively skeptical of YC in the past, if it weren't for the SFBA prereq, we'd apply. You're right, it's annoying!

YC isn't just about credentials. A significant part of the value is concentrated in the Tuesday dinners and in-person office hours. Even if YC did accept remote companies, the value of the program would be greatly diminished if you didn't move to the bay.

And that's to say nothing of investors, over 70% of whom are concentrated in the valley.

Plus, there's also probably some signal value here for YC. If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months, you may not be that serious about your startup. It's not the strongest signal, but its impact is probably non-trivial.

> If you're not sufficiently committed to be willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months,

... Then you might be older than 30. I don't blame YC at all; I'd do it the same way. However, lots of the industry's demands for evidence of passion/interest/excitement are things only applicable to young people.

A non-trivial number of YC founders are >30, married, have kids, and don't live in the Bay when they apply. It's not that big of a hurdle.

Consider how many people with similar commitments (kids, marriages, mortgages) get deployed for military purposes every year for roughly the same amount of time. It's manageable for families.

Military families have a ton of existing social and community support structures to help ease the difficulty of military deployments. Startup culture is not developed to nearly the same degree.

But there are possibly easier solutions to consider. I'd recommend that people with families consider flying back every week or so for a few days. Working remote for a few days and then spending the weekend with the family will be fine, and I've seen lots of people keep that type of arrangement going for many months.

It's very common in the film industry for people with families to work remote on location for most of 12-24 months.

I feel like it has less to do with moving somewhere and more todo with moving specifically to Silicon Valley. I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business than spend it on rent in the Valley for one summer.

I agree that there's value in being face to face for mentoring like this, but I just don't see why it has to be in the most expensive place to live in the U.S., especially considering the fact that you want to be saving money when starting a business.

> I'd much rather move somewhere like Austin or Denver and save $10k in living costs for my business

Penny pinching about $10k is completely irrelevant if you are hitting the growth rates that ycombinator is looking for.

> willing to move somewhere else for 3-4 months

Does YC ask you what you plan on doing after 3-4 months? For example, if you wanted to move your company back to Cleveland after the summer, would they not like that? Would your potential next-round investors not like that? I'd have to imagine they'd much rather have you stay in California.

They ask where your company will be based, which is presumably roughly the same thing.

I don't know what their preferences are on answers, but it's known that most venture capitalists prefer that your company be based within a half hour of their offices, so if you're basing the company in a location without funders, it may be hard to fundraise.

I currently live in Chicago, moved here for my job, but my girlfriend back home ended up getting pregnant, so now I got a daughter on the way and I'm moving back home next month, and since she's got a child from a previous relationship, she has agreements with the father to not move any farther than an hour away. Because I could never ask her to move, nor do I want to be that far away from my newborn (bad enough I can't be there through the pregnancy), I refuse to move anywhere else, not even for a job. I've just got higher priorities in my life.

why? out of the things people would do for $10 million, hopping on a plane after paying $600 for it seems high on the list. . .

Some of us have families. Although it is summer break. Also, I don't have a company or an idea.

See my response to tptacek

If I have an alpha/beta version of a product, should i be working to launch it to build traction or rather apply for YC ?

Also, I have a day job which pays well and i need the job but my passion is to build innovative/useful solutions. I wonder how i could be full time at YC or is it ok to be working part time?. I have also heard that investors would not even look at your proposal if they know you're working part time on it.

I don't think it will hurt to apply regardless :) it will help you hash out some of your thoughts as well, if you are serious about doing a startup. Good luck!

You should probably leave your job.

An idea I would be interested in submitting requires rather a lot of explanation on what makes it sexy; let's call it 1,000 words.

I realize it probably needs to be a little snappier than that, but the fundamental idea sounds a little tired and not particularly new without some explanation.

There's an opportunity to split this out in the "Idea" section, but really several strands need to be tied together in a specific order. Will it look weird to stick 1,000 words in the "What is your company going to make?" field, rather than something short and pithy like "AirBNB for Bees"?

One potential way to make a snappy one liner (and you do need a snappy one liner) is to describe it in terms of who it helps instead of what exactly it does, even if it is just "A new approach to stopping the pain felt by the X Billion dollar a year industry of Y".

That's a really good idea, actually, and I can see how to apply that. Thanks.

Forget YC for a moment and think about how you will describe it to your users. If you need 1,000 words to get each user, then it's probably not going to work.

It sounds like you're building a new version of something that already exists, so maybe just say what's new about it in as few words as possible.

or just go make that thing

paying customers are the best, most direct validation. and if you keep the cash flow right you may never need investment. most good advice has already been distilled in free web pages and cheap books. build, sell, repeat, scale.

I wonder if pre-launch Slack would have got in to YC.

I bet they would have. Impressive team with big ambitions.

Not to mention Grove / Convore was in a few years before Slack.

Just asking. Does YC value the IITs(Indian Institute of Technology) as much as they value Harv, Stan, etc. Lots of other people do value it quite a lot. How does YC see them?

i'm constantly amazed by how quickly yc moves. thanks for working towards a better future and inspiring some along the way.

Looks like my "universal communication UI" project will once again be rejected.

I'm making "the future of storytelling"... but it won't be ready until summer.

I'll get traction/users first before getting rejected again.

Anything "universal" will probably be rejected. Have you considered making a tiny hyperlocal version first?

Any prototype at all?

So...here's my question to everyone applying:

What is the single motivation or incentive for you to get in? Does YC offer something that you are unable to find or obtain on your own?

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