How I got into Y Combinator with a 4 day old idea as a college student [storytime]

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Here's the story of how I got into Y Combinator (YC) with a 4 day old idea, whilst still at university.
DISCLAIMER: My experiences are offered independently of, and not sponsored or endorsed by, or affiliated with, Y Combinator.
Here is the book I mention - Disciplined Entrepreneurship: www.d-eship.com/. It’s essentially a 24-step guide on how to build a startup from the ground up, and was really helpful to our team early on.
We are so grateful to the team at YC, and all those who have helped us along the way. The YC interview was a fantastic learning experience, and I’m excited to share it with you in this video! If you’re interested in seeing our YC application, getting more information on the interview, or hearing my tips on how to prepare, feel free to comment that down below.
From physics, to finance, to entrepreneurship - join me on my latest startup adventures. On this channel, I'll be sharing more about our progress, my background, the Haut team, some of the crazy stories, and inviting special guests. Subscribe to keep up to date with all things Haut!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Started working on a startup idea
01:54 Submitting the online application to YC
02:54 What we did before the YC interview
04:25 The YC interview
05:27 The aftermath of our first YC interview
07:02 The second YC interview
08:05 Conclusion
Website: hautapp.com/
Instagram: / hautapp
LinkedIn: / haut-app
Music by Lucydafirst, Ej Hoffman - Window Pain - thmatc.co/?l=E1940EBB

Опубликовано:

6 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 124

@arnavbathla145 3 года назад

This is extremely motivating as a fellow early-stage founder! Keep it up, Ahana! Super excited for you:)

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thanks a lot, Arnav! Looking forward to learning more about Sqillful :)

@HoneyPooBoo 10 дней назад

Wow that is so cool Ahana! An investor we met last week told us we should apply to Y Combinator for our luxurious eco-village resorts project, and we don't know if they'll take entrepreneurs not focused on tech but who knows, worth a try, we will finish our application! 💖🌎😊

@AhanaBanerjee 10 дней назад

Thank you! Always worth a try - wishing you all the best 💪

@koby9340 2 года назад

Good luck Ahana you are helping us a lot

@ipip247 2 года назад

This is very encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

@artempeshevets7922 2 года назад

Hard work pays off. Happy for you, Ahana!

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thank you Artem :)

@katlehokomeke 3 года назад

I'm so happy to hear this. 🙂❤️ Congratulations! I'm going to apply to YC later this year... wish me luck.

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thank you so much! Good luck!! Feel free to reach out if you want any help with the application 😊

@shalininoorani Год назад

@@AhanaBanerjee Hi Ahana, I am applying this wee and would love your input please.

@ronque23 Год назад

Thank you for helping to dispel so many myths about the process. I pretty much thought you had no chance unless your idea already had some traction!

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

There's actually a huge variety of experiences have during the YC application process. Glad I was able to shed some light on it for you :)

@todorvalev9488 Месяц назад

(Greetings from Rotterdam) We were just watching with a friend of mine this video and we were inspired by Quil and recorded our entire 100 idea ideation process. Really inspiring, Ahana!

@AhanaBanerjee Месяц назад

Glad to hear it! Looking forward to watching :)

@RajeshMenon12 3 года назад

Very inspiring... Have shared it in a few startup groups I am in.

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thank you so much, Rajesh! Really appreciate your support.

@seemabanerjee5956 3 года назад

There is no substitute for hard work. Well done!

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thank you!

@fionfooo 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing! I'm currently studying at Imperial and I think that your story is truly inspiring. Would love to connect and learn more from you!

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thanks Fion!!

@jucanful Год назад

This is so encouraging. As an entrepreneur, i would be happy to connect and learn one or two things from you

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

Thank you Dun!

@abhimanyukharbanda Год назад

Thank you for this story! 😊

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

Any time!

@knowledgeispower3420 2 года назад

Thank you so much for this knowledge. It seems like YC is more interested in the founding team than the idea itself. YC would rather fund a A-team with a B-idea than a B-team with a A-idea.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

I suppose so! I guess ideas/ the exact direction inevitably changes over time as the founders build and learn, so it makes sense to bet on a team that can navigate that.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

I'd also argue that execution and timing are both probably more valuable than an awesome idea

@matthewdesanctis4451 2 года назад

I think their criteria for deciding who makes a great team is flawed. I see so many people who are ex-fb employees get into YC. Then, I look at their product, and it is uglier and less useful than software from 1999. Obviously some ex-fb are successful. But imo, they should judge founders based on what products they can build not what university or company they worked at.

@VoltHaul 8 месяцев назад

@@matthewdesanctis4451and how'd you suppose they judge that other than by their background?

@yangxinyi6839 3 года назад

Congrats Ahana! That was inspiring :)

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thank you so much!

@Horacel34 3 года назад

Great video! We did not get in this time around but my team and I will continue to push regardless and apply in the future again!

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Thanks, Horace! I'm glad you will continue to persevere - the best thing you can do is build your business, improve traction, and make customers happy! Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you and your team with your application :)

@Horacel34 3 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee Thanks so much, Ahana! We will definitely take you up on your kind assistance. Which medium of communication will be most convenient for you?

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

@@Horacel34 Feel free to get in touch via linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/ahana-banerjee/

@subijoyacharya3189 2 года назад

Thank you Ahana. Please upload more videos on getting entry in Y combinator.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Check out my latest video ;)

@zk2507 2 года назад

It would be great to see a video of how you wrote your application - your written/comms skills must be amazing!

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Great idea! I'll cover this in a future video

@pavangandhi7808 Месяц назад

Amazing this has motivated me to apply to YC

@AhanaBanerjee Месяц назад

Glad to hear it!

@lopaneyovideos Год назад

Just applying to YC myself and appreciate all the insight. Looked you up, nice to see a fellow uwcsea grad.

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

Good luck with your application! Let me know if you need a hand.

@lopaneyovideos Год назад

@@AhanaBanerjee Would definitely appreciate your thoughts on my application if you have some time. I sent you a request on linkedin.

@yogeshlokare6414 14 дней назад

Superb Ahana !!

@AhanaBanerjee 14 дней назад

Thanks!

@tan6660 2 года назад

Good luck!

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thank you!

@dareabdulsalam6320 3 года назад

Such an easy out!

@olumoyesamson3248 3 года назад

This video was very helpful knowing that you can apply to ycombinator with your idea but I applied this summer batch and didn't get in am also going to try again this winter batch with a new idea

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Glad to hear you'll try again - perseverance is key! Please let me know if there's any way I can help :)

@Don_Amo 2 года назад

Hey Ahana, great video and congrats on getting on to Y Combinator. I had quick question, in terms of building an app prototype, how did you approach this? Was your co-founder building it from scratch?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Yep, me and my co-founders built it from scratch

@zaidmuhammed5609 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing your great experience. We also attending nxt batch. I send you connection request on linkedin

@ibrahimimtiaz5025 2 года назад

Hey Ahana! Love this video, super helpful. Just a question, were they against the idea of you guys being students or didn't care much or do you have any idea why they asked that question?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Hey Ibrahim! Thank you :). They did have a couple of questions about us being students. In my experience and generally speaking, they do require a full time commitment to the company, and if you're doing it part time/ on the side, they do tend to ask why. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any more questions!

@Cube920429 2 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee hello, thank you for sharing! May I know what questions they asked about that topic and how you responded to ensure them that you can still run/succeed this startup? Thank you for response

@sreenimensa 2 года назад

Hi! First of all congratulations and thanks for posting this motivating video. We have built our MVP and have launched about 8 days ago. Around 100 odd users are using the web application and I have mostly received positive feedback. Right now I am not charging to get more users. So I have no revenue to show. How particular are people at YC regarding having paying customers given that it is just an MVP which is 8 days old.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thanks! I would apply - of course, generating revenue helps, but we certainly didn't have any revenue to show either.

@sreenimensa 2 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee thank you very much

@shawntsou660 2 года назад

This is great to see. How's the team doing now?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Things are great - lots of exciting partnerships and product feature releases. I've fallen a bit behind on my RU-vid uploads, though! 😅

@shawntsou660 2 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee hahah hey the product growth is what matters!

@doxologist 2 года назад

Wow congrats! Great insights. If you don't mind, how did you manage to get ~200 odd people to your landing page/to sign up to your new idea? And do you have any tips/examples of how to answer the Application and Interview Qs?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Tbh, I asked every friend, family member, group chat I was on to sign up. This was one of the times I basically called in every favour I could.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Regarding the application, the most important thing is to be concise, show you're a strong team, and that what you're building can become huge. Stay tuned for my next video, which is going to be tips on cracking the YC interview :)

@user-lb2gu7ih5e 19 дней назад

By YouSum Live 00:00:00 Seizing Y Combinator opportunity with a novel idea. 00:00:11 Transition from academia to entrepreneurial journey. 00:01:02 Utilizing "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" for startup guidance. 00:01:16 Idea generation process: 100 ideas to one standout concept. 00:01:35 Quill: Automating meeting minutes for efficiency and insights. 00:01:57 Bold move: Applying to Y Combinator despite doubts. 00:02:45 Intense preparation for YC interview with alumni insights. 00:03:23 Initial feedback: Pushing to launch and gain traction quickly. 00:05:55 Pivoting to Hout: Leveraging personal insights for a new idea. 00:06:45 Intense last-minute prototype building for Hout. 00:07:49 YC acceptance: Turning a four-day-old idea into reality. By YouSum Live

@sithumdilanga650 2 года назад

I'm so happy that you got into YC🤗. I applied to 2021 winter batch as a late submission. I know they also take late submissions but what is your idea about late submission? Chance of getting in I mean. And I if I could get in I would be grateful if you could help me with interview🤗✌️

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thank you! I'm not too sure how it works with late submission, tbh. Happy to help if you get an interiew!

@londontreece7828 2 года назад

Thanks for the video, info, and motivation! Do you think applying as a sole founder is ok? I want to build a team, but should i just apply now or build a team first then apply?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Being a solo founder is harder, but one of the teams in my close group was led by a solo founder, and he was fantastic! So, in short, it's harder but can be done very well. He also had a great track record and was an experienced entrepreneur. Given YC are often looking for a good team (as it was in our case), if you don't have a lot of prior entrepreneurial experience, it may be worth trying to build a team first.

@londontreece7828 2 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee Thank you!!

@zayline Год назад

Hello, Ahana! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I applied to Yc this year with a fantastic idea but I am not technically strong to develop an app myself. Will still be accepted?

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

I am not involved in the admissions process at all, but in general, I am of the belief that the idea is only a small fraction of what makes a company successful

@topformwear 2 года назад

Wish I know how to code I have brilliant ideas but don't where to start

@atharvagupta9355 2 года назад

Hey Ahana, super inspiring video!! I was wondering if you could proofread our YC application? It would provide us valuable guidance :)

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thanks! Sure - feel free to message me on LInkedin/ Twitter/ email :)

@draobhealth 10 месяцев назад

Hello Ahana, I would like to ask if you added a demo or prototype to your application.

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

Not to the application, but I did show one during the interview

@mohammedAhmed-bb1dh 2 года назад

Can i apply with just an idea. They put company field in the application and am just having the idea and can’t register a company. Can you advise. Thanks for sharing btw. I subscribed

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Yes, you can! Although it helps to show steps you've taken towards turning your idea into reality (e.g. talking to users or writing some code).

@precioustsetekani2691 Год назад

You can apply to Y combinator with just an idea? My assumption is that require a working prototype when applying,even better if you have independently scaled the product and can provide some more convincing metrics

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

The more traction and progress you have, the more likely you are to be successful with your application. Nonetheless, you can apply at any stage.

@santhoshkarate1 2 года назад

I have only 1 question. I appreciate if you take only 1 minute and answer. 1. I have a an idea of decade. And I don't have MVP. For developing MVP make take minimum 6 months. Do Y COMBINATOR FUND FOR IDEA? OR WE SHOULD HAVE MVP?

@karloperic5916 10 месяцев назад

Did you have a logo and did you have a company on a site or yt?When you aplied?

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

I think I had a logo and a very basic landing page

@ashiprepladder 10 месяцев назад

Hi anna,we want more videos from your side

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

Been super busy lately but hope to get back to posting more videos in the coming months! Thanks for your support

@KSamanvitha День назад

First of all congrats Ahana! Very happy for you. I have a doubt, Did u go to San Fransico for the final in-person round ? Do they provide all the cost for that ? Can u pls give information on this

@AhanaBanerjee День назад

Thank you! I interviewed and did YC in 2021 when it was fully remote due to Covid, so no, I did not go to SF for interviews or for the batch. I'm not sure who pays for it now that it's back in-person, sorry.

@AhanaBanerjee День назад

I can ask around in my YC network and try to get back to you about it

@KSamanvitha День назад

Thank you. Hoping to hear from u soon.

@serenityliving2217 Год назад

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have applied for Y Combinators too. I would be very grateful if you could give me some guidance if invited for interview.

@AhanaBanerjee 10 месяцев назад

Yes of course!

@onetouchbook 2 года назад

Hey Ahana, this is vishwajeet from indian. I really inspired by your hardwork and story. I had also submitted my application in Ycombinator so will you please review my application?

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Sorry for the slow response - I missed this comment. Let me know if you need help with an interview/ future application

@matthewdesanctis4451 2 года назад

YC continues to accept early businesses because they like the founders’ bg and the application, I think this is a mistake. I continue to see stories of companies that were early when getting into YC and fail to reach product-market-fit. They almost always get stuck at 8-12 employees and then run out of money and fail. Knowing that businesses take years to find product-market-fit, YC should go after companies that are 3 years old and have significant revenue. A company that has been able to grow for years has significantly higher chances of success than a 4 day old idea trying to play the idea lottery.

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I don't speak for/ represent YC, but my inkling is that YC tend to favour high risk (but potentially very high reward) investments over medium risk (already established companies) that don't have as much scaling potential. I think this makes sense for them financially. While I agree that an already successful company has a higher chance of long term success than a brand new company that still has a lot to prove, I think there's a place for both types of company, and it ultimately depends on your strategy as the investor.

@matthewdesanctis4451 2 года назад

Well said. I am mainly talking about ideas that have ability to scale vs lifestyle businesses. Just because a business has been around for 3 years and hasn't scaled yet, doesn't mean it's a low reward business. Has your company started scaling exponentially already? Maybe the product-market-fit hasn't been found yet.

@jcs184 Год назад

@@AhanaBanerjee , perfect answer!

@chiragsedani674 3 года назад

Hi I am planning to apply in YC, it's very helpful if you can guide

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Sure! Good luck for your application and feel free to reach out if you have any questions

@chiragsedani674 3 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee thanks how to reach out I just wanted to know some guidance before applying

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

@@chiragsedani674 Message me on Linkedin!

@chiragsedani674 3 года назад

@@AhanaBanerjee thanks I have sent you connection request.

@jackc309 Год назад

Hey Ahana, does our Linkdin profile matters while applying to YC?

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure what you write on the application + how you come across in the video is more important

@jackc309 Год назад

@@AhanaBanerjee okay, but when you applied & got selected at that time were you satisfied with your linkdin profile? Like, rn my linkdin profile makes me question, so I'm just asking.

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

@@jackc309 I have been active on LinkedIn since I started using it (when I was 18) and I applied to YC when I was 21. So, yes I was satisfied with my LinkedIn profile, but equally, it was nothing super special and I very much doubt it had anything to do with the final outcome. Some YC partners/ many software engineers hardly use LinkedIn so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

@jackc309 Год назад

@@AhanaBanerjee cool! I have my answer now. Thanks much btw I'll reach out to you if we need any guidance before our Sept 12 deadline, if you are okay with it!?

@AhanaBanerjee Год назад

@@jackc309 Sure!

@presenceplumb9444 3 года назад

How many co founders do you have?

@AhanaBanerjee 3 года назад

Just one, Ben! He features in another video of mine

@Bernardoalmeida1 2 года назад

Hey Ahana! Would you be kind enough to provide your business email? Would love to talk to you in detail about a venture we are developing

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Of course! Feel free to reach out to ahana@getclearapp.com 📧

@ayanbanerjee4119 2 года назад

As A Non Technical Founder Who Has Not Build His Full MVP What Advice Would You Give For Getting Into Y Combinator

@AhanaBanerjee 2 года назад

Try to find a way to prove there is demand for your idea! Start with a solution that doesn't scale - whether than means manually processing user requests/ delivering a service/ using excel.