Ask HN: Submit Questions for Office Hours with Daniel Gross | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Submit Questions for Office Hours with Daniel Gross

14 pointscraigcannon28 comments

We (YC) are now hosting Office Hours on YouTube. Sam Altman went first and you can watch the video here: http://blog.ycombinator.com/office-hours-with-sam-altman/

Daniel Gross is up next.

We'll be addressing some questions already submitted on HN and through Macro@YCombinator.com but if you have a question for Daniel specifically, you can submit it here.

When you ask a question, please post a few sentences of context (e.g. what your company does) along with the question.

You can subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/ycombinator to get the video when it’s posted.

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Thanks to everyone that submitted questions. We'll keep track of what wasn't answered for future episodes.

Here's the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzjKcUtRkCU

I studied business for two years at a community college and switched my major to computer science for a semester before dropping out to learn on my own. I ultimately want to found a startup, but I want to work at a startup to gain experience first.

How does someone young without experience or a degree go about getting a job at a startup? For example, if I cold-email founders of startups I love, how can I convince someone to give me a chance versus the Stanford grads they're looking at? What about trying to work at companies like Uber or Airbnb that are far later stage?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcRwbl7sv-M

Hi, my name is Bryan. I'm in the process of starting a software company called TheftFree. (view on Twitter @TheftFree) The purpose of the software is to make credit card/debit card purchases literally theft free. I want to work with a company that's already established and has the same goals as I do. Do you think it's safe to reach out to them for discussion or do you think I should build the tech first? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

Why would it be unsafe to reach out to them?

Hi, I am trying to get into a beta launch of a grocery delivery product (www.suncart.co) in Qatar and have not been able to find a technical cofounder over past 6 months. Got the product made from an outsourced company. Should i just go out and start the beta launch without a techie cofounder and keep the hunt going side by side ? What could be the best way forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx6rWcHEyf4

Awesome. Thanks

Just a small follow-on, what if I give out equity to an outsourced company in the start - instead of initial engineers ? Being a non-techie, managing techies can be difficult

I'm stuck (and financially dependent) between a family that calls me delusional and a mindset that tells me to keep going. Also worth noting, I have a therapist I see weekly that assures me I'm not delusional. My question is this-- How do you keep going and not let the fire inside of you burn out when everyone around you is trying to put it out?

If I may give my 2 cents; are you deeply passionate about your startup? Are you trying to solve a personal problem?

Hi there, I have made an awesome free iphone app and I would like to know what is the best way to get the word out there? It is an app that let's people see verses from the Bible in their surroundings. Its Like putting on faith glasses. Thanks for your help! Antoni

Lots of founders in the Valley will start things based on trends, and at that point it tends to be too late to be a first mover and be innovative. How can you be someone that lives in the future on the leading edge of technology?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMiQIj4oqdU

If I know I want to found a startup in x amount of time, what should I be doing in that time to prepare to be a founder? How do you turn yourself into the formidable founder that everyone in the startup world aspires to be?

why all this preoccupation with being a founder.. a formidable founder? founders just found good business opportunities and solved business pains that lots of people paid money for. incidentally they became good founders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob0NsHp7U10

Company Context: A creative marketplace

How can Company start working on ML models. We have lots of data, but we are not sure what to do with all that data. We feel pressured to start working around ML, should we try to go into ML?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrsnnxNFKX0

Context: No company just asking

How feasible is it for someone to fly to SV for a week or two and raise money for a start up. How would you set up appointments?

Excellent question! If I may add to that:

How feasible is it to raise money for companies outside US (Europe or Canada) at different stages from VCs using this in and out approach?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6dTscmt-2A

As a founder, how do you know when the right time is to leave/quit/sell your company?

Which are the most common mistakes you have seen first time entrepreneurs and founders make?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeeEt8LuxdU

Does YC accept startup founders aged 18 or younger ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaiIwBB__2w

Hello Mr. Gross, I have a business idea but I haven't any money... How to can promote or grow up my business ?

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