An open letter from the founders of Scribd to those of you who didn't get into YC
So you didn't get into YC. We all know it probably isn't your fault - PG admits that with so many applicants, the choice becomes increasingly arbitrary. The question is: what do you do now? If you're a hacker, you're probably weighing three options: (1) Start your startup anyway; (2) Work for Google, Apple, etc; or (3) Work at someone else's startup
If you want to do 1, more power to you. It would have been easier with YC, but if you work hard you could still pull it off. Unfortunately, too many great programmers see only options 1 and 2, and forget that the next best thing to starting your own successful startup, is getting in on someone else's while it's still young. It's also a great path to eventually starting your own company.
Although Scribd now has 8 people, working at Scribd is a lot more like doing your own startup than working at a big company. This is true in terms of the work environment: at Scribd you'll work with a bunch of YC hackers, you'll have a huge impact on the product, and you won't have to deal with management or bureaucracy. But - and this is often overlooked - it is also true economically. Valuations are always debatable, but the cash value of the equity you would get in Scribd is actually higher than the cash value of the equity you would get in a new YC startup, which is only about $125K. At Scribd we'll either all get rich or we all won't, and you'll participate in that.
Scribd was originally started by the merger of two Y Combinator companies, and since then, everyone who has joined has either been a YC applicant or someone who started a company themselves. YC startups often "cannibalize" each other in that way, and it makes sense. We want to keep this trend going, and right now we need help more than ever to scale our insanely fast-growing website and to develop the technology that is going to revolutionize the way that documents are shared on the Web.
If you are interested, send us an email at hackers@scribd.com, or just call Trip's cell phone at 617-335-6685. Feel free to get in touch about anything, even if you just want some advice about what to do now. For more details about working at Scribd and our uncorporate culture, check out our jobs page: http://www.scribd.com/static/jobs
Sincerely, Trip, Jared, and Tikhon
47 comments
[ 5.4 ms ] story [ 111 ms ] threadBut to be fair, I used to do the same.
Or you should be casting to float ;)
I understand what point the Scribds' are trying to make, but knowing their history, I just thought I'd call them out on their white lie.
our rough plan is to find a hacker to make a beta/demo for us based on our design, and ride that demo into seed funding, which we'll use to hire some hackers, and ride that into a VC.
are we missing something? it's obviously a bit different than what this crowd generally does, but, do you see any fundamental flaws in this approach?
I've a bunch of (software/service) startup ideas but no idea where to begin... Most ppl I know are not hackers so I've considered just learning how to code myself, but I don't know how long it'll take... at this point I'm just wondering what I should do...
I've even considered applying for that entry level support job xobni posted here last week (btw are you guys still hiring... ? haha... ) just so I can get some experience in an YC startup environment... since most software startup only hires hackers...
Then hire someone off of Craigslist (or similar venue) to add a backend to it. If you could spend one or two thousand you could get enough put together to have a demo to show others.
we're laying everything out in this program called conceptdraw, hoping we can give that document to a developer and be like "see, this is what we want."
that's a great suggestion though, we might end up having to do that.
it seems people have a lot to say about this, which is great. i'll probly put up a standalone discussion thread in a bit.
we understand it's going to be damn near impossible to find someone to make a perfect, usable product. that's not what we want.
we want someone to build us an ugly, barely functioning beta, just enough to get a few users on, in closed beta, to prove that it works and such. we just want a demo.
If you follow that advice, make sure that you don't make the mistake of thinking that you can build the real service on top of whatever the guy from craigslist throws together.
I don't think you'll have much luck unless you can find one or more coders who're as excited about your idea as you are, and who you respect enough to treat as equals.
I've seen a few friends take coding jobs like the one you're planning to fill, and while they got their pay, the people who hired them never truly got what they wanted.
if anyone on YC News wants a reccomendation of good coders from Bangalore, write to me at my email id. (No you don't have to pay me, - I have enough on my plate already- and yes you should have an idea exciting to hackers).
At FairSoftware.net, we are working on a solution for your problem. Just hold your breath for a few more months, thanks :-)
Why would anyone competent join you on the terms that you've described? (There's a Dilbert about a company that wants to pay industry standard salaries but expects to have above average talent.)
I am not looking for a job, but if I was, I would have applied for you guys.
No no no -- PG was very insistent that YC's selection process is specifically NOT arbitrary. Where do you find anything he said to the contrary?
get ready to change your number.
http://www.openlibrary.org/
Not a chance ;)
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/13/alexa-says-youtube-is-n...
The chart you mention just shows that Open Library users have enough common sense not to install that crappy spyware Alexa toolbar.
Apparently they also have enough common sense to prevent their ISP's from logging their traffic and sending it to compete.com ;)
http://tinyurl.com/2rvfxu
1) The Open Library is working with publishers, libraries, universities and other organizations around the world to procure copyrighted material and metadata. From reading the "About" and FAQ on Scribd, it doesn't seem that they are cooperating with any publishers or libraries.
2) The Open Library is non-profit and will always be free from ads. How does Scribd plan to make any money?
Scribd is here today, and gone tomorrow (when their funding runs out). The Open Library is the future.
1) The Open Library is working with publishers, libraries, universities and other organizations around the world to procure copyrighted material and metadata. From reading the "About" and FAQ on Scribd, it doesn't seem that they are cooperating with any publishers or libraries.
2) The Open Library is non-profit and will always be free from ads. How does Scribd plan to make any money? From ads?
Scribd is here today, and gone tomorrow (when their funding runs out). The Open Library is the future.
As clear by this ad, Scribd doesn't seem to be your typical company (which is a good thing). The boss is someone social (ie. actually wants to talk to people with real, live speech), they've got balls enough to tell you the truth ("We'll either all get rich or we all won't"), and even if Scribd is the worst failure in business history, you probably met/know some pretty cool people.
To many YC-wannbes focus on the code, the image, the company, the money but have no understanding that the best thing in a startup is always the people. If people stop taking everything so fucking serious, you might actually unclentch and have fun.
I wish there were more companies like Scribd, and yes I definently wish I worked for one (sadly I'm in the Navy). Trust me when I say if your <25, apply; don't think, just do it.