Ask YC: I have a serious GF, but still want to apply. Good Idea?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=519863

by spoiledtechie • 17 years ago

23 64 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hey all,

I have a serious Girl friend of 5 years and a full time job to take care of all my student loans. $80,000.00 worth of loans. I live over in Florida and wonder do you think if I have a great idea, that I should do this.

I would either have to keep my girl back at home for the summer or take her and our dogs with me.

Do you think its viable to do so? To live on the $5,000.00 for the summer?

Allocator20082• 17 years ago

Not unless the dogs are willing to share their dog food with you, lol.

briansmith• 17 years ago

Aren't YC companies expected to stay in the Valley even after the summer is over?

ErrantX3• 17 years ago

No - but I imagine most do because that is where the investors are :)

noodle• 17 years ago

you shouldn't be asking HN about this, you should be asking your GF about this.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

asked, shes okay if it can be afforded..... Don't know that I can.

If I were to quit, does that mean that I will be unemployed or do I receive a check like employment from YC?

jwilliams• 17 years ago

No - You'd be self-employed, with no income.... Yeah - I know - it's a distinction that I wonder about every day.

YC hand out a cheque when you accept their offer. That's it until you secure other funding or revenue.

Doing a startup is a (significant) lifestyle choice. So if your GF is on board with that, and is happy a part of it, then just apply. If not, then you've got some bigger issues to wrestle with.

apgwoz• 17 years ago

Honestly, apply, and make the decision when you get an interview.

ErrantX3• 17 years ago

It's simple math.

If you come to YC for the Summer will you:

a) finish up with a working product ready to take to the next level

b) at that point then be able to afford to move home or ship the GF out

c) still be with the GF in the Autumn should you not go to YC

d) are unable to get the project off the ground from where you are

Yes? Then try it :)

(err and also: have you asked what the GF thinks? that seems the first port of call... :))

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

My girl will undoubtedly stay with me.

But managing two households at once on $5,000.00 that YC offers is hard work. I would be eating ramen all the way for the entire summer.

Whats the percent chance that your actually profitable after 3 months worth of work.

ErrantX3• 17 years ago

TBH fairly small - but there is a difference between profitable and being able to get hold of some capital (beyond the seed funding of YC). You might well get to that stage (no - you should get to that stage :D).

Is there any reasons the GF cant come to the bay with you?

EDIT: cheeky but does the GF have any hacker skills to become a cofounder?

notphilatall• 17 years ago

You'll likely be eating ramen (and vietnamese sandwiches and dimsum) all the way for the entire summer no matter what. With an additional mouth to feed, you have a lot less runway.

She has to focus on getting optimal grades, you have to focus on your startup -- maybe hyperfocusing on separate challenges and then re-uniting will be best for the relationship in the end?

vaksel• 17 years ago

Based on your situation, I'd say no.

Why don't you do your startup now from home, grow it a little and see if its a viable model, and then apply when you start getting some traction?

Because right now you are talking about uprooting your whole life over a 1-2% chance of success.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

This is what I have been doing, but gosh sometimes I can't get a little help from my friends.

ryanwaggoner• 17 years ago

I guess it depends on how you define "success", but I think the chances of the YC startups getting more out of it than they put in is higher than 1-2%. Even if they end up folding the startup, just having been accepted into YC and having the network probably changes your career path significantly.

rokhayakebe• 17 years ago

Man Up. (at the risk of being downvoted).

staunch• 17 years ago

I wish this phrase would die a manly death.

stcredzero2• 17 years ago

I am imagining the words "Man Up" at Thermopylae, hurling a spear at Xerxes.

tptacek• 17 years ago

What does that even mean?

symptic• 17 years ago

It's the equivalent of 'shut up and get it done.' I partially agree. It's great to think things through, but things have a habit of happening when you are in the act of doing rather than thinking of what to do.

froo2• 17 years ago

Other interoperable phrases could be

  "Toughen up Tinkerbelle"
  "Grow a pair, son"
  "Who wears the pants in your relationship?"
  "Just do it" (proudly swiped from Nike)

menloparkbum• 17 years ago

Apply and decide after you've been accepted.

rksprst2• 17 years ago

If you're accepted via phone you have to respond right there. If he puts this decision off until then, that gives him only 30 seconds to decide. I think it's better to think this through beforehand.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

didn't know its like that.

agotterer• 17 years ago

Yea, but he has to at least get to the interview first. If he isn't invited to that process then there's nothing to even consider. Once invited to an interview, its a good time to start considering any major decisions (and you will have a few weeks). Up until that point, theres nothing to lose but a free weekend in Cali.

Allocator20082• 17 years ago

TechStars, (www.techstars.org) pays $6,000 per founder, so that is at least a thousand extra bucks there if you wanted to try that instead. There application deadline is Saturday I think.

unalone• 17 years ago

We don't know all your details. You know your life better than we do.

Is she willing to find employment and pay some of the bills if she lives with you? How fast do you have to pay off your loans? Have you looked to see how good a living situation SF affords you? It's an expensive place.

I agree with menloparkbum: Apply either way. If you're accepted, then decide further.

anatoli• 17 years ago

Just to clarify... one founder gets $10,000.00, two founders get $15,000.00, three founders get $20,000.00. It's clearly stated in the FAQ... what hope is there, if you can't even read the terms correctly.

utnick• 17 years ago

not sure but i think he meant (10k) - (taxes) - (cost of moving to sf from florida)

which is about 5k

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

yep.

kaiserama• 17 years ago

If your idea truly is great you have absolutely nothing to lose by applying. If your idea is accepted you still have the option of declining the funding, requirements to move, etc... But if your idea is accepted then it obviously has some merit and you'd at least have the YC stamp of approval and a slightly better chance of succeeding than those who didn't get in.

At the end of the day, do what makes sense to you and your values. Good luck!

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

Thank you.

bmatheny• 17 years ago

Remember the underpants gnomes from South Park? Their plot was simple. 1. Steal underpants, 2. ???, 3. Profit. Most YC people have something similar going on: 1. Come up with great idea, 2. Get YC to fund it, 3. ???, 4. Profit, 5. Get a Girlfriend. You've already jumped to step 5, skip 1-4.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

Found the girl early on in life. Way before college. lol. Now stuck with the girl. Love her to bits though so can't let go and move without her.

sutro• 17 years ago

Just think of all the girlfriends you'll be able to buy once you become rich and famous in Silicon Valley!

tsally3• 17 years ago

Meaningful girlfriends? You mean zero?

tsally3• 17 years ago

It appears that whoever downvoted me misinterpreted my comment. To expand the implication: you can buy zero meaningful girlfriends.

tsally3• 17 years ago

Well the financial math is simple, no $5k is not enough for you both.

The relationship math is simple as well. After five years of dating, you're probably getting to the point where you are going to get married or break up. If you think you are going to get married, why would you uproot your life with a full time job when you are in debt?

YCombinator is not a silver bullet to start up success. Work on something from home in your spare time. Find out more about your talent for this type of thing.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

Thank you.

dkokelley• 17 years ago

You said your GF is in school right now. If that's so, how will she move with you to SF? She won't be able to go to school (unless the school allows 100% telecommuting or she decides to take a semester off).

Remember that the $5,000 +$5,000n is an investment in YOUR COMPANY, not a paycheck. That money is meant to cover the founder's living expenses during the YC round. I think you will have a hard time using that money to live off of and support your GF.

If your GF can get a job and support herself (either while still going to school or by taking a semester off) I would say go for it. But if the only way is to send money back to FL then you are hurting your chances of succeeding, and I would find another way.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

Thank you.

dasil003• 17 years ago

It's one thing to be fresh out of college with no debt and no responsibilities. I could imagine finding a roommate, eating ramen and stretching $5000 for 6 months or more.

However you sound a bit more like me. I'm 30, married, with $60,000 of student loans and a car payment living in Mountain View. In case you don't know what expenses are like out here, let's just say $5000 wouldn't even cover my loan payments + rent for 2 months. You will not find a decent one-bedroom under $1500. You can do better if you cram yourselves into an efficiency or get roommates, but just FYI, I got a 30% raise to move out here and I've never felt poorer. Given your situation, your runway will be shorter than most, but if you are good, that may be the extra drive you need to get something up and fundable in under 3 months. Me? I'm bootstrapping from someplace cheaper when I leave my current startup. I see the YC model as more appropriate for those with no experience, no connections and no responsibilities.

Good luck.

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

This clears a bit up for me as we are in pretty much the same situation. Thank you. As for your last sentence,

I see the YC model as more appropriate for those with no experience, no connections and no responsibilities.

I see that I have all three....

jamiequint• 17 years ago

I wouldn't bank on getting in if you have no co-founder. You should probably worry about finding one of those first.

rjurney2• 17 years ago

Startups are hard on partners, but if its serious and this is something important to you then you should apply.

Trial by fire :D

I love my wife, and I know she loves me too. And part of the reason I know that is because I was broke as hell on the second iteration of my first startup when we met. I crashed at her apartment and ate her food while I built my prototype.

She put up with it, she must love me :)

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

My girl is doing the same to me now. Living off me while she attends school.

rjurney2• 17 years ago

Well, then do the math. A formal budget, something most 20 somethings have never done. Figure out what sacrifices you've got to make. Then sell the team on them.

Add a fudge factor, cause shit happens.

An exercise in startup leadership :D

ia• 17 years ago

if you have to ask...

callmeed• 17 years ago

  g = Girlfriend.find(:all).last
  a = YCapp.create(:term => 'Summer 09', :name => 'spoiledtechie')
  if a.accepted
    g.propose
    self.move('SF')
    g.move('SF') if g.fiancee
  end

spoiledtechie15• 17 years ago

g.propose is out of the question (for now).

if a.accepted self.move('SF') g.stay('FL') || g.move('parents') end

pclark• 17 years ago

just out of interest - do many founders bring their girlfriends with them?

silencio• 17 years ago

I wonder too. I'm considering applying - still working it out with the cofounder as to our final decision about applying - and (as much as I'd like a girlfriend) I have a boyfriend who'd support me no matter what but can't move because he has a full time job where we are right now. Sorta complicated :(

gregatragenet• 17 years ago

I think for you the best solution would be to keep your day job and work nights/weekends on your startup. With your big financial liabilities and GF that has to stay in school in FL you can't make it work on a YC check and uproot to silicon valley...

If you really wanna be in the silicon valley tech scene -- it's a good place to network about your startup idea -- start applying for jobs out there. You'll make way more money than you're making now and you can still work on your idea nights/weekends. You'll probably find a co-founder and some advisers out there and have a better chance of getting serious funding than you'd have in Florida.

Ask YC: I have a serious GF, but still want to apply. Good Idea?

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