Instead of trying to predict success based on the seeds of an idea and a brief interview, any startup could enter the program and those that prove themselves could move up a ladder that provides more and more opportunity.
The application still asks about educational background, which effectively just a way of asking about familial wealth, but it still seems like a major improvement over existing avenues.
I predict that in the future YC will be viewed as the "do things that don't scale" early effort and Startup School will become the massively world-changing product that results.
I ask because the curriculum looks great, but wondered if the mentoring might be a little more focused towards the more traditional startups looking to progress to VC funding, rather than those of us that are taking things a little slower on our own.
I would guess that this is YC's version of freemium. They're giving away a slimmed down version of their product for free, to drive brand awareness / resonance, and attract more qualified leads to their paid (7%) program.
You might not be interested in YC proper, but there's still plenty of great advice, that will probably translate into you having a more successful startup.
Also it baffles me that YC has close to 1000 startups that have gone through them but only one “Dropbox” has IPO’d.
I get the feeling that YC’s best days are ahead when things they invested in a decade ago will pay off huge returns.
Im a psychologist with a specialty in entrepreneurship mental health and co-founder conflict. I help people (sometimes individually sometimes as a co-founder pair) address difficulties such as impostor syndrome, communication skills, burnout, making decisions under stress, and effective leadership.
The co-founder relationship is extremely intimate and specific, and it is near impossible for two people to work so hard on a rigorous and trying endeavor and not run into issues. Part of what makes it hard is also the fact that outwardly, everything always has to look awesome. So there aren't any realistic comparison points.
A co-founder relationship is not unlike dating in that you have to figure out where your deal breakers are, what issues you can work through, and what issues you can let go. You also have to be open to accepting your own role in problems that arise, and commit to trying to work on those too. All of which is hard to do while also managing the stress of starting and running a company.
If anyone has questions I'm happy to answer them. You can look me up at azimuthpsych.com.
Also, if you're looking for a therapist for either yourself or you and your co-founder, heres an outline to help you out.
https://azimuthpsych.com/articles-and-ebooks/how-to-find-a-t...
Janna Koretz, Psy.D
It’s always positive outwardly, of course, but I’m asking about the side that people rarely see. It’s hard to know what’s normal and what’s not. And that’s a problem when you’re trying to evaluate whether someone is a good fit as a cofounder.
Consider Jamie and Adam from mythbusters. They can’t stand each other. But when they work together, things get done. Are most cofounders like that, or is that the exception rather than the rule?
I tell people believing in their abilities made the difference.
Having money helps(well paid 9-5), but knowing that with enough googling and never giving up mentality, you can solve real problems. Sometimes I am shocked at how little is needed to solve problems that the entire world is currently dealing with, but my fully capable friends dont even try.
What are the new limits? I still seem to be limited to the length when I signed up on the first day.
201 characters for "What is your company going to make?" and 252 characters for "Why did you pick this to work on?"
That being said, I've certainly missed pg essays as of late...
I'd guess it's probably a combination of which teams are most promising and need the money the most.
https://blog.ycombinator.com/geoff-ralston-and-adora-cheung-...
> You must submit at least 9 out of your 10 weekly updates and attend 9 out of 10 group office hour sessions.
>100 companies who complete the course will also receive $10K.
Depending on your location and what position you are in your career , Funding can be a big issue.
This small grant can be a big help to start a business , but 100 companies is quiet limited to be honest.
Wait , what ? My comment started by "Thanks" that's a weird interpretation really...
If you have 1000 companies following the course that's like 10% chance of getting funding, regardless of whether or not there is an equity that's the point.
Ideally though, they would give $100k to 100 (or 1000) companies and actually take equity. Most startups want to give up equity for good amounts of money, they call it "funding" ;-)
YCombinator isn't what it used to be. Shame
The same is true of other hard roles in life, but most roles have built-in peer groups. Like, being a parent is hard so you need other parents to talk to, but you naturally meet other parents in your neighborhood. Being a soldier is hard, but you're bunking with other soldiers. Being a startup founder is isolating by default, if you don't make some effort to build yourself a support group.
The regular YC program helps with this because founders meet frequently in person and get to know each other. I've seen many lasting friendships come out it. Also, the YC partners and staff psychologist help many founders cope with pressure.
It's a valid concern that online-only startup schools will encourage people to start companies in isolation, and they'll end up with unbearable levels of stress. Ways to cope with pressure will be discussed, and there'll be peer interaction that could lead to lasting supportive relationships, but it's an open question how well it'll work without in-person connections.
Whether or not you're in the class, if you're suffering founder stress please consider doing a workshop with https://www.helloinnerspace.org/ (YC S15).
