For the last year, I checked more than 100 YC applications of other founders and many of them have the same repetitive issues.<p>So I prepared a simple guide with examples that will help founders build successful applications and avoid common pitfalls.<p>I've personally applied for YC three times, and was accepted only on the third time with Fluently.<p>This guide is based on my personal experience and was reviewed by other YC alumni. However, I would be glad if you could share your thoughts on that too.
Any other founders feel like YC has lost its luster? Not only are the number of AI companies in the portfolio ridiculous, but the large class sizes seem so much less personal.<p>Not to bag on anyone who’s in YC right now, but it seems to be going the way of many ivy leagues - still meaningful, but very much not the same proxy for extraordinary it once was.
I guess I don’t get it, and I’d like to. Y-Combinator enables connections and mentorship along with a stipend. This allows a team to work full time for a few months, having quit or taken a hiatus from their day job.<p>So the risk is $dayjob unless you’re a serial founder, the reward is the connections and money to float for a few months, while selling I think 10% of your company? The odds of your idea working out, even under the umbrella, aren’t great. Is that accurate?
I know someone who was in a recent batch.<p>He said that 95% of the batch are between 20 and 30, mostly AI and mostly US.<p>There are exceptions to the rule but let's not pretend there isn't a YC thesis.
Great advice! The other thing I'd add is to get at least 4-5 YC alum to review your application in a Google doc and do practice interviews with them if you make it to the next round. Also, if you have friends who've done YC before, get them to recommend you!
Go to ivy league school + ai<p>raising pre-seed venture capital is more similar to getting hired at an investment bank (as an entry level/post mba banker) than it is to starting a company