denismars

Very excited to get this off the ground - we've got some big ideas where this can go - ultimately we want to support many use cases, but before we get there we need to battle test it in the market - would love any feedback, and if you want to get involved reach out to me denis at proxy dot co

If you are truly determined, and will stop at nothing to build a successful startup, then I strongly encourage you to apply for YC and don't worry about your chances or treating it as a lottery.

Yes, it sucks not getting into YC. I know, I didn't get in the first time I applied, it felt shitty for a day, but then I just went on with building my startup regardless. I applied again the following year and this time we did get in. I didn't give up or think about our chances once.

Determination is not something you say, it's something you do, especially when the odds are stacked up against you. So if you are determined, apply for YC, don't over think it, then keep moving forward with your world domination plans.

More here: http://imars.posthaven.com/so-you-didnt-get-into-yc-now-what

Like all things in startup life - nothing is easy, everything is hard. To me it sounds like you've given up already.

If you don't have the fire in your belly to overcome challenges, then chances are you probably won't be very good at building a successful company.

"soul crushing", "lottery" are words that people who easily give up use. Where's the fire, where's the ambition?

That's one of the most important things I'm looking for in the founding team when I read applications. I want to see determination, fire in the soul, and an ambition to go out there and make amazing things happen.

A great founding team can take a shitty idea and still make a success out of it, a shitty team can take a great idea and make nothing out of it.

Agree with Kevin, this might encourage the wrong way of thinking when applying for YC.

Average people, that do average things, generally think in terms of the odds "what's my chance of this, or that.." when deciding about things.

Extraordinary people don't care about their chances, they do things because they are determined or obsessed about whatever it is they are doing, and stop at nothing to make it happen. These are the types of people that go on to build great companies and are the types of people YC generally looks for in the applications.

So if you're the type of person that doesn't care about the stats: you should definitely apply!

I studied Mech Eng. and Physics but now spend most of my time building software related technologies. I think the big take away from my Mech Eng. degree is that I've learnt how to solve technical and non-technical problems. Solving problems is one of the most important parts of any startup and you should look at your Mech Eng. background not as a destination but as a continuous journey of learning to solve more and more problems (technical or not) as you encounter them in whatever challenges you confront. Apart from using your Mech Eng. skills directly in a mech related startup, those skills should not limit you to that specialization alone if you continue on the learning process of picking up more tools/knowledge to add to your chest of problem solving experience in a startup.