This is my first time applying to YC. For startups that don't make the cut, do they get any kind of feedback from PG/YC, written or otherwise, on what they could do better?
If you are not accepted you get an email saying something like [1]:
We're sorry to say we couldn't accept your proposal for funding. Please don't take it personally, because most of the proposals we rejected, we rejected for reasons having nothing to do with the quality of the applicants. For example, we were very reluctant to accept proposals with only one founder, because we think starting a startup is too much work for one person. We also had a higher threshold for applicants who were still in school, groups where one or more members planned to keep their current jobs, and groups that couldn't all move to California. We rejected a lot of proposals simply because we couldn't understand them, or didn't understand the problem domain well enough to judge them, or because the project seemed too big to start on only three months of funding. Sometimes we even rejected good ideas, because another group proposed the same idea and seemed further along.
We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email telling us about it; we want to learn from our mistakes.
It has perhaps been said numerous times before, but you may want to not worry about the negative aspects of something.
You know what I just did? I just wrote down my "To Do List" for my y combinator interview. Book flights, book hotel, design printed handouts....etc. Put it out into the universe that you will get invited out for an interview. Believe that you will get it and you'll be more likely to.
I can't back this up with any sort of scientific or market data but it has often worked for me and other successful people I know.
If you're writing to do lists after Y Combinator, you're probably writing them before too - which means you're already ahead of a lot of people (motivationally speaking).
4 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 22.5 ms ] threadWe're sorry to say we couldn't accept your proposal for funding. Please don't take it personally, because most of the proposals we rejected, we rejected for reasons having nothing to do with the quality of the applicants. For example, we were very reluctant to accept proposals with only one founder, because we think starting a startup is too much work for one person. We also had a higher threshold for applicants who were still in school, groups where one or more members planned to keep their current jobs, and groups that couldn't all move to California. We rejected a lot of proposals simply because we couldn't understand them, or didn't understand the problem domain well enough to judge them, or because the project seemed too big to start on only three months of funding. Sometimes we even rejected good ideas, because another group proposed the same idea and seemed further along.
We realize this process is fraught with error. It's practically certain that groups we rejected will go on to create successful startups. If you do, we'd appreciate it if you'd send us an email telling us about it; we want to learn from our mistakes.
Thanks,
Y Combinator Staff
Additionally you can also see some feedback here - http://ycombinator.com/whynot.html
[1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=70062
You know what I just did? I just wrote down my "To Do List" for my y combinator interview. Book flights, book hotel, design printed handouts....etc. Put it out into the universe that you will get invited out for an interview. Believe that you will get it and you'll be more likely to.
I can't back this up with any sort of scientific or market data but it has often worked for me and other successful people I know.
Maybe even put that to do list under your pillow.