If someone is just graduating and interested in entrepreneurship, what do you think is the probability that they will be accepted into YC? The original article mentions a 2.5% acceptance rate at YC of those who apply. Do you need prior success in order to apply?
No, you don’t need prior success to apply (it’s specifically targeted at people without prior startups), but it is highly selective. A suggestion that I’ve heard and think seems reasonable is to spend 6-12 months trying to build up enough of a company to be accepted to YC (or another top incubator), and then shut down the business if you don’t get in.
Note that I’m using YCombinator here as a convenience sample – it’s not the right choice for everyone (I didn’t go through it with either of my companies, and think that was the correct decision in both cases).
If someone is just graduating and interested in entrepreneurship, what do you think is the probability that they will be accepted into YC? The original article mentions a 2.5% acceptance rate at YC of those who apply. Do you need prior success in order to apply?
No, you don’t need prior success to apply (it’s specifically targeted at people without prior startups), but it is highly selective. A suggestion that I’ve heard and think seems reasonable is to spend 6-12 months trying to build up enough of a company to be accepted to YC (or another top incubator), and then shut down the business if you don’t get in.
Note that I’m using YCombinator here as a convenience sample – it’s not the right choice for everyone (I didn’t go through it with either of my companies, and think that was the correct decision in both cases).