Ask HN: Should startups with seed funding apply to YC? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should startups with seed funding apply to YC?

2 pointstheoutlander3 comments

We're a two person startup (a business and technical co-founder) with a good business model, pending patents and future customers. Our idea requires creating business partnerships and so far we've established three. This gives us access to over 1,500 potential customers, some of which could start paying us after the first release. We will release a closed beta in three months. We've raised seed money with a condition from the investor that we need to raise a similar amount from another angel before they write the check. So we're working on raising the other half and already have two followups. Recently a VC offered to invest a large sum, but we've decided to save that for the Series A round since our valuation will be very low without a prototype.

Since we have a good idea and funding isn't much of an issue, is YC still for us?

Have other startups in our situation applied to YC and what value did it bring?

What are typical scenarios when startups should apply to YC?

I think YC is not only about funding, but Networking. Funding itself is around 20K$. But value of meeting right people is priceless. So, definitely apply.

this is from FAQ: (http://www.ycombinator.com/faq.html)

- We've already taken some funding. Can we still apply? - Sure. We've funded many startups that have.

This might be also interesting for you: - We don't want funding, but will you give us advice?

- Unfortunately we can't. We've invested in so many companies that helping them takes up all our time. But we've collected some general advice in our library.

Thanks, I should have realized the FAQ was probably revised over the years.

While I agree that advice is priceless, don't most startups join YC so they can connect with VC's by the end of the program?

Well, that's truth and deeply depends on aims of startups. Sometime, as I see, people try out their Ideas and themselves. As Paul Graham mentioned in following post: "15% of teams change their idea after being accepted."

http://www.ycombinator.com/atyc.html

So, perhaps, if funding is not the case with your startup, I would think about strong media coverage after participating in YC. Which can lead to more customers.

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