The replies on slashdot disagreed with YC ideology, but that does not make them pure garbage. Slashdot is read by an older (more experienced) crowd than news.yc. It would be a good idea to understand some of where they are coming from-- after all they were around during the last boom when the average YC foundre was not yet a teen!
People whose business it is to fund companies are always lookng for good companies. IF the person who is looking to invest is a good person-- then you will have no trouble getting in touch with them-- if your idea is good.
People who don't quite know how to start a business may need coaching before they can communicate... and remember, of course that %95 of the people who represent VC funds in the Bay Area (and anywhere else) are flatline idiots.
so, think of it as a test of their intelligence, whether they get your idea, rather then your worth.
Also it seems to be common that people think that "connections" are important-- they aren't. Not at all.
You often hear the advice "get someone who knows them to introduce you"... that's if you're chasing money. But don't chase money. Build your think, network with your peers, and the money will chase you. Because your peers will say "damn that's cool" and the money will hear it.
Hell... why do you think VC firms hire all the MBA fools from HARVARD who know nothing about technology and whose only education at harvard was doing lines of coke off the bellies of hookers? their only purpose is to find deals.
But this is not-- by a long shot-- how most startups become successful.
And one thing I've learned in the last 20 years-- the people who are worth knowing-- the really valuable ones-- they are approachable. You don't need someone to make an introduction to them.
Universally people who make their living as middlement and introduction brokers are people who are selling you something you could get for free, and undermining your ability to use it at the same time (because they are selling it to others as well-- making their introduction less valuable than contacting the person cold.)
Instead of just saying it's "not hard" why don't you provide some actual instruction? Tell us what "...if you know what you're doing" really means in practical terms.
The reason for getting assistance from YC/angels is that they're generally great hackers themselves. They're holding the private VC club door open for other great hackers, and they don't care how slick you are (when you come to them). They're reputation-based sponsors to VCs.
So, the primary bit worth really noting:
"Build your think" (I'll assume "think" was intended as "thing".)
This is the "build something people want" of the YC model. There's nothing better you can do if you want funding than to build something people want. It's possible to get funding for things people don't want, but much harder, and why bother? Get to the point where you're sure people want it, before trying to get big funding (big being anything over $50k). You'll be in a stronger position in negotiations, and you'll be able to choose from good investors.
"network with your peers"
This is the weekly dinners part of the YC model, and I believe it was more useful to us than all of the other great stuff that YC brought to us (and I frequently say so). If there were a "technical startup founders club" that existed in some startup hub, and had some kind of barrier to entry akin to the YC application process, I believe it would produce nearly as many good businesses as Y Combinator. You need the barrier to entry, because business idiots flock to events that have lots of hackers looking to start businesses, hoping to find someone to implement their killer idea. They end up making it a useless business card exchange--I noticed this at quite a few of the more open YC events and meetup type things around YC--hackers are shy, and so the business idiots end up doing all the talking, and the hackers just kind of stand around being assaulted by the loud jackasses with killer ideas. Without the seriously smart hackers and designers-only rule, there's no value. Even without the money or Paul Graham, this kind of weekly event would product great results.
"Slashdot is read by an older (more experienced) crowd than news.yc. It would be a good idea to understand some of where they are coming from-- after all they were around during the last boom when the average YC foundre was not yet a teen!"
On this bit, well, I'm kind of stunned as how much the trolls have taken over Slashdot in the past couple of years. I've been a slashdot reader since it was chips and dips (yeah, I'm old), and it was once a place where people starting companies would get a warm reception and reasonably good advice. The remaining old-timers seem to be just bitter about failed ventures during and in the aftermath of the boom...that's not wisdom. Take note that I've founded a Y Combinator company, and I'm also one of those Slashdot old-timers of which you speak (hopefully, having the experience needed to make rational judgment calls on these issues), and I found little but trolling on that thread, which is was I felt compelled to respond.
Yes, I mean "build your thing." This is NOT the "YC model". The YC model is "build a demo so you can get VC money". This is a very bad approach-- I mean, its a great approach if you're looking to get funded so that you can get a salary. ITs a terrible approach if you want to build a business that will grow fast and make you rich. The YC model has you building a demo that gets funded and instead of getting a salary from a large tech company like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo or Amazon, you get a salary from VCs. Believe it or not, as clueless as managerment at G, M, Y or A are, the VCs are even more clueless.
You're still assuming that the purpose of your company is to demo your way into a job (eg: get "big" funding.)
Sorry, I didn't mean network with your peers (if your peers are under 25). Hanging out with other YC founders is ok, but its not networking... you need to network with people who are older (assuming you're under 25)... people with other disciplines, preferably people with significant business experience. Nothing wrong with hanging out with other 25 year olds, but that's not the point.
"Without the seriously smart hackers and designers-only rule, there's no value."
I understand why you would say something like that. and I'm certainly not saying you should spend time with kids (also under 25) who spent the last four years snorting lines of coke off of hookers bellies (eg: Havard MBAs) but your coming off like Mark Zuckerberg... there are great bright valuable people in business. And you will NOT find them at a YC infest.... because these are people who are running successful companies. You need to be networking with your possible strategic partners, or the people who will be your customers or know your customers.
.....
The reason the slashdot thread is so hostile is that the cult of Paul Graham is getting a lot of press lately and its sounding more and more like its gonna end in another jonestown.
The more people associated with the program act like stepford hackers the more you're going to see "trolling" ...and the less time I'll spend here... whenever I've expressed something not %100 in line with the PG ideology, the responses have been vehemenant and identical... not counter arguments, but repetition of the ideology.
"Yes, I mean "build your thing." This is NOT the "YC model". The YC model is "build a demo so you can get VC money"."
Where did you get that idea? Paul actively discourages YC companies to seek VC money, and is very nearly hostile to the groups who don't launch product by the end of the program.
"You're still assuming that the purpose of your company is to demo your way into a job (eg: get "big" funding.)"
Nope, you haven't bothered to look at what me and my company (a YC funded company) are doing. We've launched. We sell products to real customers for real money. We support them like a mofo. We add features and make it easier to use every week. Then we lather-rinse-repeat. We're building a serious business, and YC has been very encouraging about it.
You've got the wrong end of the stick on everything YC is doing, as far as I can tell.
"Sorry, I didn't mean network with your peers (if your peers are under 25)."
Did you miss where I said I'm old. I'm 32, and this is my second company. I mean exactly what I said.
"but your coming off like Mark Zuckerberg... there are great bright valuable people in business."
Now you're just talking crazy. I've frequently made fun of Zuckerberg here on News.YC. Partly because I'm old. I've made no suggestion that you should only talk to young people. I am suggesting that hanging out with other smart people starting companies is the smartest thing you can do.
I stand by everything I said about the YC events that were open to all comers. I'm not saying you can't gain anything from talking to business-oriented folks...I'm just saying I don't find any value in meeting with "business idiots" who want me to implement their dumbass ideas for them in exchange for 5% of their company.
Business idiots are not the same as business folks who are useful to talk to. YC brings it on the latter, and skips the former entirely.
"Nothing wrong with hanging out with other 25 year olds, but that's not the point."
Again, I'm 32. My co-founder is 33. I'm cantankerous, and don't like kids. If there were any in the WFP, I managed to avoid noticing. The YC companies I've met are serious folks.
"And you will NOT find them at a YC infest.... because these are people who are running successful companies."
Oh, right. I met Joe Kraus...umm, at YC. Mark Fletcher...hmm, that was at YC, too. Evan Williams...argh, also at YC. Greg McAdoo...holy crap, YC. Ron Conway...I'll be damned, at YC.
"The more people associated with the program act like stepford hackers the more you're going to see "trolling" ...and the less time I'll spend here... whenever I've expressed something not %100 in line with the PG ideology, the responses have been vehemenant and identical... not counter arguments, but repetition of the ideology."
I don't know anything about that, and it doesn't matter to me whether you stick around. ;-)
Where'd you get the the idea that Paul encourages any of the things you suggest? Certainly not in his essays...they're anti-VC, and always focus on building something people want. Early exits are a part of the strategy for a lot of YC companies, that's true, but I don't see where there's anything wrong with that. It's also clear to me that YC doesn't demand early exits (we are not an early exit company, and have never presented ourselves as one).
Making it personal in debate is never a good strategy... further, on multiple occassions you misconstrued or misrepresnted the points I was making... so I'm not going to respond to that either.
Thus, either you are a hypocrite, or I am being asked to stop because I have an opinion that (apparently) disagrees with yours.
Further irony comes in the fact that you made this comment in response to me pointing out that the discussion was beind directed towards becoming personal by the person who responded to me, and stating that I wasn't going to go that direction.
Finally, both calling me a troll or stating I'm a "very angry person" are personal attacks.
Communities tend to follow the lead of their ostensible leader-- and you have just communicated to everyone that personal attacks are OK.
However - you have to forgive him. He's just trying to prevent News.YC from turning into reddit.
I think all he's asking is that you (and everyone else here) make a concerted effort to not engage in flame wars, pointless arguments, personal attacks, etc. Let's just try to keep these discussions intelligent and courteous.