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Ask YC: Single founder company with prototype, how do I improve my odds of being accepted.

24 points by mcotton ↗ HN
I am getting ready to submit my application to YC and I am interested in the advice of others. I already have a working prototype but the people who were going to develop the company with me aren't ready to commit 100%. In your opinion, what can I do to improve my odds?

thanks

37 comments

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mixmax
I applied as a single founder last time, and nobody checked the working prototype I linked to. So it appears that you shouldn't spend your time working on that.

Edit: Or maybe I just didn't make the first cut as webwright suggests below.

mcotton
If you don't mind, what did you do? Did you go after other sources of funding? What are you doing with your prototype now?
mixmax
I don't mind at all. I simply continued working on it - the good thing about creating software is that it doesn't cost money, it just takes time - especially when you have to earn a living on the side. It has taken me a bit longer than it would for a seasoned programmer, since I had to learn to code first. Particularly since I use quite a bit of javascript and CSS, which I find to be tricky to get right in all major browsers. I currently have all functionality nailed down, and spending time going through the UI (which I think is the most important part of development for most web-based startups) and checking up on security issues.

Probably ready to launch in two or three months time.

maxklein
What's the deal with this 'funding' talk? Why can't you let your customers 'fund' your product?
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webwright
No offense, but I think it's a safer assumption that your application didn't make the "first cut".

I imagine they do a first pass over the apps to get to a "short list" and then dig a touch deeper, discuss it, etc. Given that YC has said over and over again that a working prototype is helpful, I think it's a pretty terrible suggestion to NOT spend time on it.

mixmax
None taken. And I suspect you might be right, so maybe OP should disregard my parent comment. I have problems explaining the concept in simple terms, and this has probably not helped me. Particularly since I relied on the prototype to do the explaining visually. I remember reading a comment PG made about why some teams were chosen and some rejected where he wrote that some applications they simply didn't understand. I might fall in that category. Or maybe my idea just sucks ;-) Also, it probably doesn't help that I'm not a programmer.
cperciva
Also, it probably doesn't help that I'm not a programmer.

I don't understand. If you're a non-programmer and you're working by yourself, how did you produce a working prototype?

mixmax
I learned how to program while doing it - isn't startups all about ovecoming obstacles?
cperciva
I learned how to program while doing it

Great! I still don't understand why you said that you're not a programmer, though. You programmed, ergo you are a programmer. :-)

mixmax
Thanks for the endorsement :-)
SwellJoe
Exactly. Nobody knows everything...none of us are "done" learning how to program, unless we're not doing any programming anymore.

One certainly gets better at it, the more time spent on the subject. So, one who programs might not be a good programmer, which comes from knowledge, enthusiasm, and experience, but if you build something that works, it's better than 99% of people who come up with ideas and do nothing with them.

webwright
Great example of determination!
johnrob
Find a co-founder. If you think you can successfully run the company alone, then don't worry about it. Otherwise, you will need to find more people at some point, so you may as well address that now.
wheels
If you think you can do it alone you vastly underestimate how much work is involved in running a company. We've got two people and even working 16 hour days we're still swamped. Coding is like maybe 20-40% of the total work, depending on what sort of product you've got.

Start frequenting the OpenCoffee or similar in your area and start talking to people about what you're doing. There's a reasonable chance that in a couple of months you could fish up a nice co-founder.

johnrob
I think you can be a one man band if you make iPhone apps (or something equivalent).
wheels
Well, I mostly meant for YC-like startups where you're shooting for large-ish returns, having to deal with fundraising and all that jazz.
webwright
Single founders get accepted all the time.

IMO, it's a pretty simple formula.

1) Build something people want-- ideally, prove it. Have users. Show that they log in every day and would sooner gnaw off their own arm than lose your app. There are other ways to prove market demand other than loyal users. Find them. Leave no question that people desperately want what you're building.

2) Prove that you can build stuff. Have an impressive and interesting resume for getting stuff launched/shipped-- ideally, you can show that you've build/shipped stuff under great adversity. Show determination.

3) Show that it's a big opportunity. I remember there was a team talking about building a tool to manage D&D campaigns online. That's not a big opportunity. YC only makes "keep the lights on" money with the 10-20m exits. You should hopefully be playing in a space where there is a ghosts chance of a 9-figure exit. They're pretty lenient on this one, I think-- ya never know what can get big.

(IMO) The biggest risk YC is taking on is that no one will want what you're building. The second biggest risk is that you aren't capable enough or determined enough to get it built. Your adding the risk that you can't find a decent co-founder-- which doesn't help.

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maxklein
If a startup already gets significant press, does that lower or improve its chances of entering the YC program?
webwright
I'd say improves, assuming the press seems to indicate that people want it (which I'd guess it usually does). It also indicates that you successfully handled a little attention (successfully dealt with reporters/bloggers and your servers didn't 'splode).
[dead] many
IMO your "pretty simple formula" expires in five months. Not to be caustic or merely clever, but I personally feel that "off the cuff" advice is better than "off the shelf" advice. Thus, be awesome and have a soul. Make people STOP wanting to gnaw their arms off because of your work :-)
CaptainMorgan
webwright offers some great insight here. mcotton, just wanted to say best of luck to you. And if the others aren't willing to commit, give them an ultimatum and then part ways if things don't work out. Definitely go it alone though if you've got the drive.
trapper
Out of all the ycombinator apps so far, which would you say satisfy number 1? The only one that falls into that category for me, amusingly, is this site.
furiouslol
Even youtube doesn't satisfy No. 1 in the early years when there weren't much interesting videos in their database.
trapper
Yes, but hotmail, gmail, gdocs, skype, firefox, delicious, flickr et al did from word go. Once you started, you never stopped. By all accounts youtube was lucky, got momentum at the right time and struck it rich. It could have been many of the other similar sites in the same position.

I'm not saying its easy to develop something a user would jump off a cliff for, more the contrary. People say it like it's easy, iv'e been doing my own startups for 5+ years now and still don't have one, but i'm working on it just like everyone else here I suppose!

webwright
There are lots of ways to prove that people want something. The best is (obviously) to launch something lovable. ;-) We proved it by launching a "coming soon" page with a form to submit your email addy to hear about the launch. We had a 25%+ conversion rate on that form and got thousands of email addys.

Another way to prove it is to show 3 or 4 apps that do something similar that SUCK, but people use them/pay for them anyway.

And there's plain ol' market research.

volida
get a co-founder, really.
pg
It's not the end of the world if your cofounders aren't ready to work full-time. It depends why. If they're in grad school, for example, and only willing to work on the startup on the side, that could be ok, so long as one of you will work full-time. (That's how it was with Viaweb.)

It would not be so good if they merely had jobs they weren't willing to quit to work for the new co. Then it's kind of a vote of no confidence in the new co. And since they'd be the new co, that means a vote of no confidence in themselves. If that's the situation, I'd try to find at least one new cofounder who was more enthusiastic.

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dhouston
make a (short -- 3-4 min) screencast. pg et al are probably not going to have time to play with your app to the extent that you'd like (or perhaps at all), plus you get to show your idea/prototype in the best possible light.

if you're feeling lucky, submitting it to news.yc can get some additional attention.

i was a single founder, did this and it helped me 1) bring on a great cofounder and 2) get accepted into yc.

furiouslol
i recommend using jing video for the screencast.
[dead] many
I checked your profile. It would help to submit an application, provide your email address, and the like. . .
[dead] many
I'm returning (in good faith) to this post because I think it's important for applicants to view "winning" YC funds as an obligation, rather than a "repeating prize." The more we view owing someone a piece of our bottom line as a prize, the shorter we will last, moreover YC. It's good for YC, for the short term for us to feel they're doing a "great" thing, however in lieu of their trust and subsequent validation, what we win is an obligation. Taking choices does not equal making decisions. Failing to know that will bankrupt you by any means possible.
amrithk
Interesting to see the comments. We are in the same boat as well. We are a team of three people but two are on H1-B visas and cannot quit their jobs (otherwise they'll have to leave within 2 weeks). Anyone in a similar boat?