Just wondering...<p>My co-founder and I are applying without a link to a demo. <p>We've been working on hard problems and architectural things that need to be ironed out before features can come. Also, our idea has changed a bit...
Demo something. Don't make excuses about why you don't have a demo...demo something, and tell them what you'll change to make it great. The demo is just so they know you can actually build something. Recently there have been quite a few YC companies that have already built something impressive at the time of the interview, so your competition is stiff. But folks with crappy or no demos also make it in, sometimes.<p>I just think your odds are much better if you demo something. Realize that some of the guys you're up against can produce a working web application that does something useful in a few hours. So, mock something up.<p>Make a demo. How else can I say it? Demo something!
A bit of advice, orthogonal to whatever PG's answer is:<p>I too am applying with a large hard problem, but nonetheless I'm going to have a demo. It's a throwaway prototype that, if I tried to use it as production code, would scale to about ten users before the server fell over. See if you can figure out a way to do the same. If you're doing a put-your-favorite-UNIX-command-on-the-web type startup, just make a web-based frontend that actually invokes that UNIX command to do its processing.
PG:<p>I would also like to take this opportunity to ask if there is a point for single-person applications.. the faq's say the chances of getting funded are far lower, would this be a non-issue if the applicant is willing to partner with another person/team?