Ask HN: How do I prepare for the interview?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9363093

by Sophi13 • 11 years ago

48 11 11 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Got an interview call from YC. Mood: Super Excited/Freaking Out. I'm wondering if there are any YC alumni/interview candidates around who'd have any advice before I appear for the interview?

jtfairbank• 11 years ago

What's your company?

mhluongo• 11 years ago

Maybe find alums to run a mock interview?

NPMaxwell• 11 years ago

In addition to whatever else (like reading the company site and researching the people I'll be meeting with), I like arriving 20 minutes early and going for a walk.

raminassemi• 11 years ago

Decide in advance what the 3 most important facts are you want them to remember about you.

Then make sure to work this into your answers, even if the question they ask you seemingly isn't related to it.

I learned this from one of the co-founders of a SwipeGood (YC W11), they wrote about it in much detail here:

http://blog.close.io/tough-interview-questions

(Now of course - do this mindfully, not robotically, but if you've been invited to an interview, I probably don't need to say this).

And congratulations! Wishing you success :)

sospep• 11 years ago

NOT an alumni or past interviewee but i'll put this out there ...

1] Paul Graham - wrote an Essay - How To prepare for the interview

http://old.ycombinator.com/howtoprepare.html

2] I created a summarized, annoted version of 'Grahams essays key points' aka my TLDR

http://sospep.com/view/article?id=4457

I would memorize those keypoints

3] I also compiled a list of the 'interview questions' that they are known to ask?

http://sospep.com/view/steps?id=129

you/your co founders probably want to know the answer to every 1 of those questions, as they pertain to your company, backward, forwards and sideways :)

4] and a few other resources, that may be helpful to you... - like ARTICLE(s) - our interview with ycombinator by ... (* x) - i will add the links to the Reference section the article i posted above

Finally, congratulations, I suspect the bar to YC is pretty high and you've cleared the first hurdle. Now get started practicing those interview ?'s and good luck!

petersouth• 11 years ago

hmmm...Maybe I'll build a YC interview simulator...

Sophi13• 11 years ago

Be sure to let me know when you do Peter!

Hydraulix989• 11 years ago

Best way is to focus on running your startup instead.

ThrustVectoring• 11 years ago

If you aren't already a good public speaker, start attending Toastmasters or some similar organization. This kind of activity is a learn-able skill, and Toastmasters is the kind of place to learn it.

humanarity• 11 years ago

Well done :) as for interview simulators, there's always this: http://ipaulgraham.herokuapp.com/

dopeboy• 11 years ago

Posting here to say congratulations. Would love to know what it's like after it's done.

Ask HN: How do I prepare for the interview?

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