applying to y combinator
"open sourcing" my application... mostly
Last week, as promised, I submitted my application to Y Combinator.
Here it is, more or less. Unfortunately, the redacted portions are some of the more interesting bits about the product itself - I’m not far enough along to feel comfortable making all my thoughts public, but wanted to give you a little taste.
The application is divided into two sections: one about the business, and one about you as a founder. Per some of the good advice I received, including from the post that inspired this one, it is as much about using the questions as a vehicle to demonstrate your thought process as the content of the answers.
Hopefully this post can demystify the application for anyone considering applying themselves. At a minimum, I wanted to make sure the transfer of knowledge did not stop with me by putting back into the world a synthesis of the guidance I received from many knowledgeable people - thank you to all who helped me out !!
BUSINESS
Confusingly, there’s still a “founder” section here in addition to the standalone one.
FOUNDER
Who writes code, or does other technical work on your product? Was any of it done by a non-founder? Please explain.
I write code, no work has been done by an outside party, technical or otherwise.
Are you looking for a cofounder?
Yes, I am looking for a cofounder. Primarily, I need a thought partner in building this project. Also, an extra set of hands and someone with a complementary skill set, ideally with a technical background given the nature of the product. I imagine myself taking on a biz/product emphasis relative to my cofounder(s)’ technical emphasis, but am open to any arrangement for the right people.
Founder Video
Commentary: this is a one minute or less video, and based on guidance published by YC is less about the founders’ professional background than a quick elevator pitch of “why this; why me”.
Answer: [REDACTED]
COMPANY
Company name
Commentary: curious what y’all think, it’s in reference to firefighting / urgent shipping response, but I don’t know if it’s here to stay.
Answer: HOTSHOT AI
Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.
Incident management support agents
What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.
[REDACTED]
Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?
Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn, NY
Explain your decision regarding location.
New York has demonstrated that it’s a great place to build a tech company, and my primary network of founders/design partners/VCs are here. I am open to relocating opportunistically and at a minimum I expect to do business in San Francisco, but I would want a clear reason before a full-time move.
PROGRESS
How far along are you?
I am just getting started. On the tech side: I have the bones of a prototype, but nothing deployable or capable of adding value in a production setting. On the business side: I have validated the idea with several technical founders and VCs, gotten strong nods of intent from potential design partners, and produced a few shareable artifacts (doc/deck).
Most of the progress has been in my head, turning this over and over. I feel I have a good grasp of the fundamental technical architecture and problem space, and a clear view of what I need to execute in the coming weeks/months.
How long have each of you been working on this? How much of that has been full-time? Please explain.
I’ve been working solo on this project full-time for five weeks. I left my startup job last July and was initially working on other ideas and freelance until this idea came to me and I refocused on it completely.
What tech stack are you using, or planning to use, to build this product?
I am using Python exclusively due to its strong support for agent-oriented libraries… [REDACTED]
Are people using your product? (Y/N)
No
When will you have a version people can use?
1-3 months. Key remaining feature areas are deployability, security, and evaluation.
Do you have revenue? (Y/N)
No
If you are applying with the same idea as a previous batch, did anything change? If you applied with a different idea, why did you pivot and what did you learn from the last idea?
n/a
If you have already participated or committed to participate in an incubator, "accelerator" or "pre-accelerator" program, please tell us about it.
n/a
IDEA
Not going to be able to share much here yet… probably the meatiest section of the application. Apologies. Once I have a working prototype I am excited to go “public” with this and share more.
Why did you pick this idea to work on? Do you have domain expertise in this area? How do you know people need what you're making?
I picked this idea first because I have felt the pain of being woken up at 3am to restart a DAG, going back to bed, shaking off the adrenaline, knowing that I’d have paperwork to do in the morning. I’ve continued with it because I am confident it’s an idea I can win with…. [REDACTED]
Who are your competitors? What do you understand about your business that they don't?
[REDACTED]
How do or will you make money? How much could you make? (We realize you can’t know precisely, but give your best estimate)
Commentary: this was an interesting one, I did not enjoy answering it but it felt constructive. There’s maybe some element of sanity checking market size here, but it seems more of a thought examination type question than most. I’d figure anyone applying to YC would be smart enough to do some consulting math TAM/SAM/SOM stuff, but maybe it filters for engineering brain. The parenthetical bit supports that hypothesis - were people really doing exact calculations here so frequently they had to specifically say “this is an estimate” ?
I think the medium guide I linked earlier was insightful here in emphasizing a bottoms-up approach. I ended up doing both bottoms-up to show practical growth potential and top-down to show upside, but I’m not going to show you anything here.
Answer: [REDACTED]
Which category best applies to your company?
B2b saas
If you had any other ideas you considered applying with, please list them. One may be something we've been waiting for. Often when we fund people it's to do something they list here and not in the main application.
Commentary: I don’t think this is one they’ve been “waiting for” but who knows !!!!
Answer: The modern social “toolchain” is fragmented and clunky: people are jumping from app to app to figure out what they’re doing and coordinate with friends. Looking at event flyers on Instagram, seeing a restaurant review and saving it to a list on Google Maps, copy/pasting all this into their color-coded digital calendar, then messaging a friend in a separate platform. Event platforms like Partiful exist, but they are only one layer in this stack. The market is ripe for a social planning tool that integrates time, location, and people, and I’d like to build it.
EQUITY
Have you formed ANY legal entity yet? (Y/N)
No
If you have not formed the company yet, describe the planned equity ownership breakdown among the founders, employees and any other proposed stockholders. If there are multiple founders, be sure to give the proposed equity ownership of each founder and founder title (e.g. CEO). (This question is as much for you as us.)
Commentary: again, ridiculous parentheticals here. I guess this is a good reminder that some of the people applying for this are teenagers.
Answer: If it's just me, it will be all mine. Bringing on another person or two, I would propose an even split - if this is going anywhere, the work I've invested so far is a drop in the bucket relative to what's ahead of us.
Have you taken any investment yet? (Y/N)
No
Are you currently fundraising? (Y/N)
No
CURIOUS
These are a bit disappointing to me given the header… curiosity to me speaks to much more than “hey what about us tho”
What convinced you to apply to Y Combinator? Did someone encourage you to apply? Have you been to any YC events?
Commentary: I just now realized I failed to answer the “events” portion; oops… also shoutout Jake and Adam if you see this !! Thank you !!
Answer: I first considered applying to YC because of the positive experience several friends had, specifically Jake McCloskey (Unthread) and Adam Stansell (Axle Health). I became convinced after considering the amount of thought and refinement that has been put into this application’s structure, and realizing that the app would be a worthwhile framework to help me think better about my own company regardless of outcome.
How did you hear about Y Combinator?
I heard about YC from being curious, attentive, and in the startup world for years. You all are hard to miss :)
FOUNDER PROFILE
Please tell us about a time you most successfully hacked some (non-computer) system to your advantage.
Commentary: evidently, this question was created by Sam Altman. It’s not very well-suited to my disposition - I tend to avoid interacting with systems that require hacking to meet my ends, so I had to reach back a ways in time. Seth, if this finds you I hope you’re well.
Answer: In the fifth grade, Mr. Miller offered “chits” to his students as a form of recognition and reward. Chits could be exchanged with Mr. Miller in various quantities for rewards of corresponding quality, but direct exchange of chits between students was explicitly forbidden, and regardless impeded by a lack of liquidity. Having obtained a unique stamp as a reward for one of my chits, Seth Vanderwilt and I began using the stamp to mint an alternative currency that could be traded freely and illicitly exchanged for chits or chit-earned prizes at a certain rate set by us. This early foray into “forex” was lucrative for Seth and I, and informative as to the dynamics of financial instruments/markets. Seth ended up carrying this interest forward into some early investments in bitcoin - I did not, but I did get some nice trinkets and an early lesson on the fragility of systems and how to disrupt them.
Please tell us in one or two sentences about the most impressive thing other than this startup that you have built or achieved.
Commentary: slightly embarrassed about my answer here; another question that goes against my natural tendencies. I also don’t have anything that is a clear winning answer here
Answer: I made it this far into the world of tech on my own terms, cultivating a network from scratch and leaving each step with a sterling reputation. I’ve never been a prime applicant for anything, I’ve been turned down by every prestige opportunity I’ve applied to, and I’m still going - another “no” won’t stop me.
Tell us about things you've built before. For example apps you’ve built, websites, open source contributions. Include URLs if possible.
POPOUT.NYC
Mooded
Substack, documenting my founder journey from the start. I am going to publish this application there as soon as it's submitted.
List any competitions/awards you have won, or papers you’ve published.
Commentary: shoutout Arvind !! real one. I don’t think these awards are at the tier they’re expecting - whatever, still won em
Answer:
University of Arizona full academic scholarship
Fielding-Singh award
Galileo Scholars
that’s all, folks
I’ll have an answer no later than March 11, and of course will let you know how it goes. A worthwhile thought exercise, a good excuse to strike up conversations with people… regardless of the outcome, I have no regrets. I tend to think that I am too early and don’t meet some of the “soft” criteria they’re looking for (especially without a cofounder) but whatever. Applying again with demonstrated progress can’t be a bad thing. Thanks once more to all that helped review this iteration.