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Ask YC: To my fellow YC Summer Applicants who slipped through the cracks, what is your next move?

9 points by aschobel ↗ HN
As the email said, the process is fraught with errors. What is your next move?

Mine is to launch by the end of next week after four months of work.

Also, don't forget that the Google Android deadline is this coming monday! =)

19 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 59.3 ms ] thread
JayNeely
1) Network, network, network.

2) Present to VCs.

3) ???

4) Exit.

Just kidding about the "???" part, by the way. We have at least two of those question marks figured out.

JayNeely
Humor helps, I figure. My serious answer is that we continue as planned. From the moment we realized we'd have to set 'badness' to 'yes', we made sure we were doing things as we would if we weren't going to be a part of YC.

For us in particular, that does mean looking for opportunities to interest venture capital funds. As our time-to-market(s) decreases, our profit-potential increases correspondingly.

One of the main things we're going to do is get early reactions from potential customers. Letting them know what we're trying to build, and what it would offer them, should be a great way to get good guidance, and possibly even some proof of value we can take to investors.

Other than that, we're building, iterating, and talking. #startups on irc.freenode.net is a great place to find smart people with similar interests, in YC and out. Hope to see you there!

rshao
Your comment reminds me of the underpant gnomes from South Park.

My co-founder and I are moving forward regardless, since our only real expense is server fees and advertising costs. We've also joined both LinkedIn and Doostang and I've begun trying to tap all of my friends who are either smart, connected, or entrepreneurial to get together over lunch and discuss things. As a younger founder, it's great to still have the parents to fall back on for expenses. :$

attack
Probably get back in shape, rebuild social life, find money, reassess the best path.
ebukys
I'm with you on this one, I get to start swimming again tomorrow.

Huzzah, nothing like a couple of my guy friends doing it alongside me to get me moving.

I seem to have a competitive streak...

lux
We've been developing parallel plans so the 'no' just means we take plan B now. We've already got a 4-city tour planned to showcase the app this summer, a promo video with a local new media/technology group, and lots of press planned, among other things. We're still preparing the online 'blogosphere' and podcast marketing strategy too. And we'll probably try to hold off on VC as long as possible anyway, build a profitable business, then talk to them when we have something to show for ourselves.
aschobel
It would have been incredible to get into the YC program and be able to bounce ideas off of all those brilliant people, but on the positive side I don't have to worry about moving to Boston. I really dig SF =).

So the plan still is make something people want and ship!

How hard can it be?

lux
Exactly!
keating
> I don't have to worry about moving to Boston. I really dig SF =)

If you're already there then you're pretty well off and with some networking your chances are good. The Boston groups move to SV afterward anyway because the investors there move quicker and are less risk-averse.

aschobel
I haven't had a chance to do much networking with other startup folk in the area, tho I did bump into one of the core PostgreSQL guys last week.

Where do these startupshingdigs happen, should I be reading Valleywag more?

Right now I'm bootstrapped, but I have friends in the area who work with VC/Angels when the time is ready. Needing advice more than money right now.

aston
Valleywag is a surprisingly good resource for networking events, yes. It's not gonna get you rubbing shoulders with VC's, for the most part, but folks in the valley show up for stuff. Unfortunately, most of the really good parties only get written up after they happen.
ebukys
This just means that I have to do actual 9 to 5ish work while launching this summer, that's all. In the end though, ALL the rewards will be mine, so I'm not too worried about it.
uvince
"It would have been incredible to get into the YC program and be able to bounce ideas off of all those brilliant people"

I think that's the right way to think about it. So far everyone here has a great attitude, that's great. But, how many folks needed YC for the money? will not having financial backing stop anyone from moving forward?

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matthewer
Try and go friends and family. Do what it takes to get the money. Build something compelling, and find the right people to spread the buzz.

You just find the trail as you go.

bwah
We will continue to develop and push our app forward.

To me, the overwhelming benefit of getting into YCombinator would have been the interaction among other founders and advisors. It is less about the money and publicity as it is the access to experience and ideas. I do believe, though, that the community on news.ycomb serves this same role in a less direct way.

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bosky101
will keep in touch, continue work and wrap up another investment offer we have on the platter. release within three months, and and see how things span out 8 )