Ask YC: When can we expect to know our YC application status?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=159192

by Readmore • 18 years ago

24 44 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I know it's supposed to be today but the waiting is starting to drive me crazy. Any ideas?

paul_reiners• 18 years ago

A watched kettle never boils.

Readmore2• 18 years ago

It's so true. Apparently 'a refreshed inbox never changes' also holds true.

ericb• 18 years ago

At least everything works asynchronously now. Waiting for a phone call used to be excruciating, before voicemail. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about someone "tying up the email" while we wait.

chasingsparks5• 18 years ago

While a watched kettle never seems to boil, my ruby script that scanned for a pg comment did signal.

hooande• 18 years ago

You gotta share that script or give it a web address

rrival• 18 years ago

I have one of those new fast ones. I watched. It boils.

nanexcool• 18 years ago

about that... http://xkcd.com/357/

xenoterracide• 18 years ago

patience is a virtue and a necessity in our trade.

ph0rque• 18 years ago

To make the waiting easier, I assume it's going to be after midnight. That way, insanity is held at bay.

pg4• 18 years ago

Late tonight probably.

Readmore2• 18 years ago

Thanks.

pg4• 18 years ago

The emails are going out now. Thanks for your patience (and please check your spam folders).

The applications were really good this time. We invited more groups to interviews than we have in the past, but we still had to turn down a lot that are probably good.

dcurtis• 18 years ago

How much do you look at the news.yc username correlation in your decision making?

dlytle2• 18 years ago

My recommendation: go out and get a cool drink from some hippy juice bar, relax, and then go to bed before midnight. Read a book or watch a movie instead of checking until tomorrow morning. (I'm not being sarcastic; that's what I'm planning on doing. Blueberry-orange-pineapple smoothie ahoy!)

Finding out about the results sooner won't alter them, and the anticipation/worry is almost always worse than the reveal of whatever you're waiting for. If you resolve not to check until tomorrow morning, you'll have a more pleasant night, and be well rested to find out what's up in the morning.

jkush• 18 years ago

Haha. That's terrible advice! :)

How about just checking your email once every few hours or when you feel like it? That seems to be a less extreme reaction.

dlytle2• 18 years ago

Many people who took the application seriously will have been working like crazy the past couple of weeks, and the very serious entrepreneurs have months or years more of it ahead. A "night off" would probably do a lot of good for some of the applicants.

Getting a relatively healthy drink, enjoying some leisure time, and going to sleep at a reasonable hour... I can think of much worse advice. :P

wheels2• 18 years ago

Or better yet, just assume you're not getting it, because even if you get invited, you statistically still probably aren't going to be accepted. Keep building your application, chasing up contacts, figuring out the next step and planning on taking over the world with or without YC.

keating• 18 years ago

A year ago they kept 2 out of 3 invitees IIRC.

hendler2• 18 years ago

I like National Geographic:

pangolins http://youtube.com/watch?v=r2cyp8k8uuM

pygmy seahorse http://youtube.com/watch?v=k4q3sBuCkRQ

critter cam, turtles: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q_D51Ui_XMI

These things calm me.

kuldeep_kap• 18 years ago

haha! Thank You!

ChrisRicca• 18 years ago

http://cuteoverload.com

hendler2• 18 years ago

Yeah, exactly. Cute overload. nature does it better.

mpc• 18 years ago

Go out with your team and eat something tasty or drink a couple of nice beers. There should be an endless amount of things to talk about regarding your startup that don't depend on yc.

Come back and check your email around midnight, then decide what your next step will be.

(this is exactly what I'm doing)

ericwan• 18 years ago

Thanks for reminding me. I don't even remember that they will give out the interviews today. Take it easy.

chrysb• 18 years ago

Just put it in the back of your mind and continue executing everything you wrote about in your application.

mmenchu• 18 years ago

Yes, go the Alpha-beta pruning approach. Assume you were rejected and don't wait till too late to find out how screwed you are. Continue working and launch 1 day earlier ;)

ameilij• 18 years ago

Good luck to everyone! I admit, I joined with little hopes of getting picked, so just the pleasure of learning about start-ups made it worthwhile.

Thanks YC!

ubudesign• 18 years ago

Oh was suppose to be today? slipped my mine

jgill• 18 years ago

I'm curious what part of this sentence says notifications will be sent by April 9th. "We'll review applications by April 9 and invite the groups that seem most promising to meet us in Mountain View on the weekend of April 25-27." I kid, I kid.

jchor• 18 years ago

Don't forget to check your spam filters just in case! =P. I asked my friend who got accepted and he said that they sent it pretty late and that the email only goes to the leader on the app. Goodluck to everyone!

rickrodgers2• 18 years ago

FWIW our rejection was sent to all founders emails.

rickrodgers2• 18 years ago

Shot down in flames a few minutes ago. At least they sent a well crafted email. I would love to see the specific negative feedback as to why they rejected us, but I understand that it would add to their workload.

Anyway, for me the best part of the YC process was the exercise of completing the application. It was much less daunting than sitting down to write a business plan. It forced me to codify my plans in broad terms, and that has been very helpful.

Now, back to the races.

Ask YC: When can we expect to know our YC application status?

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