How to make your YC application stand out

"Ultimately, the point of these videos is not for you to sell them on your idea. It's another opportunity for YC to get to know you and your team as people, in a way that words on an application form can't convey."<p>Yes! We're not looking at the video as a way to understand your idea. That's what the written application is for. And yet so many people sit there in the video reading some prepared text in a monotone, which is not something that makes anyone look smart. Far better not to script the video. I'm not saying you should talk about random personal stuff like your favorite bands. You can talk about the startup. Just don't read a prepared statement. The best thing to talk about might be the background for the startup: how you met and how you got interested in this idea.

These are some really nice hints. I'd also stress out some pg also gives on the whole application process:<p>Drew' (from dropbox) application (good for a good example): <a href="http://files.dropbox.com/u/2/app.html" rel="nofollow">http://files.dropbox.com/u/2/app.html</a><p>The video from Directed Edge founders: <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=855057</a>

An excellent set of tips from a YC startup that we've been using for our product. The only thing I didn't see was Aaron's opinion on whether or not comments on Hacker News had helped anyone in his group stand out. I always check the karma score of co-founders to try and figure that one out.

Makes me have a good feeling about the app I submitted ... I know single founders are harder to get funding usually, but I'm confident I can find a co-founder in SV :)

brings current in my spine.

"I hope PG doesn't read this, but I tell people all the time that in hindsight I would've done YC for zero dollars and still given them the equity percentage.  You will leave YC on the "inside" of the SV bubble.  You will have personal relationships with founders and investors that you read about on TechCrunch.  How can you put a price on that?"<p>Is it just me, or is anyone else getting really tired of this type of fanboy, love-fest dribble? I have no doubt about the validity of YC as an accelerator, but it's just tiresome to read this type of stuff what feels like so often.