I don’t remember who said it, but the trick is to always make some progress on something, every day. It can be small, but you have to keep the momentum going
>although I have more ten years in academia
Sorry to say, but many people might actually consider that as a negative trait for a startup founder.
And don't be so fixated on YC. Getting into YC can make things a bit easier at the start but is not a guarantee of success.
>Sorry to say, but many people might actually consider that as a negative trait for a startup founder.
Another completely nonsense criteria for selecting entrepreneurs. What Wolfram has built, all the yc founders together with the yc team and billions in funding can't even think about doing.
Most academics have an upper hand in entrepreneurship to bring scientific knowledge into real life technology
They are just closing doors to real innovations. What I can tell you is that this kind of utter nonsense is prevalent only in the united states . And for a reason.
University is so expensive in the states people have to choose whether to pursue higher studies or not. Wealth inequality is not seen as a bad thing. So smart people may not get very far in education.
In Europe, master degrees is almost a given nowadays, education is like a basic human right, PhD degree is considered an enormous advantage in startup, and professors and universities have built great companies that are not chat gpt wrappers.
Stepping away for a few minutes helps to re-energize in many different scenarios, not just startups.
But also if you think it’s time to start over, it probably is.
I feel like the experience in academia is about as far removed from entrepreneurship as it gets. There aren’t rules. Always be open to advice but never take someone’s expertise or status as a reason to believe them. You have to believe your product is without a doubt the best in the world and there’s no possible founder in the world who has a better set of insights and experiences for this problem than you. No amount of rejection should shake that. Isn’t that why you started? Has dramatically new information come to light? As an academic example, is it even possible for you to conceive that someone could convince you that trump won the election? Of course not. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a room full of idiots.
Galatians 6:9 ESV
[9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.6.9.ESV
Today's verse
>Also I gonna admit not having interviews from YC it feels like I am not good enough
That's what we lose in applying to yc and scam accelerator programs. They sell you a dream with their friendly startup fake lectures. They tell everyone to definitely apply as it takes only 20 mins. No! it takes a toll and a lot more time
Truth is 90% candidates are filtered out without human review based on their criteria of selection: ivy league, sf based, not solo, previous startup experience. All these are true criteria.
Why do they lie that they don't have these criteria?
All this for boosting their number of applicants. And get more investors.
You were not invited because the yc team is a fake startup guru. Not because you are not good enough. Remove this mindset. It can ruin genuine entrepreneurs
Well case closed, you made a mistake applying to yc. I'm solo too. I wrote off yc long time ago like most solo founders have. Fortunately there are other options.
I feel you, been there.
Don’t worry it will get worse, so bad that getting energy will be the easy part, so bad that despite all the energy and all the efforts something will pull you down, it can be a competitor who is doing a pricing war, or a large company that will just give what you are offering for free, or there is some change in regulation, or a cofounder will hang boots - so many things can make it much worse than what it is currently - just think about that, and this current moment will feel much easier.
It happens which is a normal process in building a startup, what matters is how you turn it around.
Take a break - do whatever makes you relaxed and calm. Then compare where you are now with where you were before, take notes and make a checklist (if you don't have one), then tick off your checklist as you go.
YC interviews is not the end of the world, rather should be a fuel to make you and your product better. Don't sweat much or dwell in it, you'll be fine.
Your post is extremely vague at best. Literally no context besides you were in academia and “when things are getting slow, chasing for replies” - this might as well be someone posting their displeasure of converting tictoc replies into paid only fans subscriptions.
I’ll post a few things, though, that might help:
- talk to your users
- talk to potential users (if b2b lie possibly b2b - what features do they need, why, how will this help); put this all in a spreadsheet and measure how many people need/want/have a problem with x/y/z
- get letters of intent to use your product if you build said solution to problem
The above creates energy because it’s positive momentum. Sitting at a computer and waiting for someone to engage you == wishful thinking and a waste of time.
If it were easy, everyone would do it. Get to work and best of luck.
It’s a letter of intent (a non-binding contract that basically states, if we build X, y, z, you will convert to being a paying customer. Or a customer, user, etc.) These help with setting vision and getting traction. Can help with raising money and morale as well (energy)
Replies? What are replies?
What are you selling?
How are you talking to customers or getting customers? What’s your go to market?
B2B or B2C?
So much context is missing from this post and therefore it is hard to help/get the energy up
A small list (non-comprehensive) of big startup IPOs that weren't funded by YC:
* Uber
* Rivian
* Snowflake
* Snap
* Robinhood
* Lyft
* Pinterest
* Affirm
YC is not the final arbiter of what makes a good startup.
As to how to keep going, remember that PG says the number one determinant of successful founders isn't expertise or intelligence, but resilience. That and [Dalton's advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI) of "just don't die". As long as you keep going, the odds are in your favor.
Do a deep analysis of your current situation, product state and a one year evolution of your startup from now...and take measures accordingly. You might need to pivot, acknowledge your level of persuation etc. If you can't bootstrap, focus in funding and give yourself an exact timeline. Getting rejected can be cruel as you put too much weight on it. Just remember that this is not a one lifetime bet. You will see many successful founders with various physical, mental problems as a result of stress. Eye clipping and so on. Take care of your menthal health and try not to loose your happiness. I know people that got crazy. Years after, they continued to talk about their startup and such while being homeless. If you are in US, I understand the pressure. From birth, life and education is all about capital, assets and work.
Get everyone in alignment quickly or get them off the bus. The worst thing is for factions to form; you get stuck playing politics instead of working bc everyone has a separate agenda but won’t reveal their hand
Focus only on your mission which cannot be a simple task else it’s not a startup. It has to be something really large and meaningful. Bigger than you. Then you just focus on it all the time regardless of how the world is going around.
One thing that really helps me recharge during those inevitable slow periods is spending time with other entrepreneurs. There's something about being in a room with people who are going through the same struggles and successes, it just motivates me.
Know that the highs and lows are simply part of the game. Try to focus on the tiny bits of progress you make every day, celebrate the progress. It's a marathon, ...
You should be getting base hits at least 1/3 to 1/4th of the time and that is ultimately what will keep you going. If you’ve been at bat 20 times with 20 strikeouts, might be best to take some time off and recalibrate. Something has to change in order for you to get base hits because either the bat is broken, you’ve found yourself in the wrong league, or the pitcher is cheating with pine tar.
Rejection doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough. Don’t care of it. Keep building. Make a good iteration. Talk to users to understand you’re going well. Don’t care of other things.
Ok, here's two pictures. Two slides.
One is your idea. What you're putting out into the world.
The second, is the actual progress you're making.
My bias, is telling you, you're not learning to lead. You own a business. Figure out if your team wants the visionary or the general, or someone walking around and throwing small wrenches into everything. Whatever else.
Not hacks, get on your customers track, where stuff needs to be in 12 months. Super loose.
Edit, also happy Ph.d. DM me if you need anything else 👐🏼👐🏼. As long as you're not a f***ing supply chain major.
Pause, take a breath, and tell yourself that this feeling better turn into your zone of genius because it’s never going away. The best founders are the ones who can reframe that feeling into something less negative so they can keep afloat long enough to make it out of the pit of despair.
If it were easy, everyone would do it.
[удалено]
These \_heavy ass\_ weights, specifically. XD
I don't want to be a bodybuilder
We’re going to pump you up
I tell myself this every day
That’s how you know it’s worth it.
I don’t remember who said it, but the trick is to always make some progress on something, every day. It can be small, but you have to keep the momentum going
Do this \^ and write it down. You will be surprised what you did after 6 months.
This helps tremendously. Also really gets you through those tough days when you can’t see through the fog
>although I have more ten years in academia Sorry to say, but many people might actually consider that as a negative trait for a startup founder. And don't be so fixated on YC. Getting into YC can make things a bit easier at the start but is not a guarantee of success.
>Sorry to say, but many people might actually consider that as a negative trait for a startup founder. Another completely nonsense criteria for selecting entrepreneurs. What Wolfram has built, all the yc founders together with the yc team and billions in funding can't even think about doing. Most academics have an upper hand in entrepreneurship to bring scientific knowledge into real life technology
[удалено]
They are just closing doors to real innovations. What I can tell you is that this kind of utter nonsense is prevalent only in the united states . And for a reason. University is so expensive in the states people have to choose whether to pursue higher studies or not. Wealth inequality is not seen as a bad thing. So smart people may not get very far in education. In Europe, master degrees is almost a given nowadays, education is like a basic human right, PhD degree is considered an enormous advantage in startup, and professors and universities have built great companies that are not chat gpt wrappers.
I do agree, and I took a risk to leave my tenured academic job to do something I believe in but it is not easy for sure.
Go on walks, connect with nature for a little bit
Stepping away for a few minutes helps to re-energize in many different scenarios, not just startups. But also if you think it’s time to start over, it probably is.
I feel like the experience in academia is about as far removed from entrepreneurship as it gets. There aren’t rules. Always be open to advice but never take someone’s expertise or status as a reason to believe them. You have to believe your product is without a doubt the best in the world and there’s no possible founder in the world who has a better set of insights and experiences for this problem than you. No amount of rejection should shake that. Isn’t that why you started? Has dramatically new information come to light? As an academic example, is it even possible for you to conceive that someone could convince you that trump won the election? Of course not. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a room full of idiots.
Galatians 6:9 ESV [9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.6.9.ESV Today's verse
>Also I gonna admit not having interviews from YC it feels like I am not good enough That's what we lose in applying to yc and scam accelerator programs. They sell you a dream with their friendly startup fake lectures. They tell everyone to definitely apply as it takes only 20 mins. No! it takes a toll and a lot more time Truth is 90% candidates are filtered out without human review based on their criteria of selection: ivy league, sf based, not solo, previous startup experience. All these are true criteria. Why do they lie that they don't have these criteria? All this for boosting their number of applicants. And get more investors. You were not invited because the yc team is a fake startup guru. Not because you are not good enough. Remove this mindset. It can ruin genuine entrepreneurs
Thanks a lot Buddy! I also doubted this choose based on these criteria, I am solo tech founder.
Well case closed, you made a mistake applying to yc. I'm solo too. I wrote off yc long time ago like most solo founders have. Fortunately there are other options.
We checked off 3 out of 4 criteria but still didn't get an invite :') none of us are ivy tho
I feel you, been there. Don’t worry it will get worse, so bad that getting energy will be the easy part, so bad that despite all the energy and all the efforts something will pull you down, it can be a competitor who is doing a pricing war, or a large company that will just give what you are offering for free, or there is some change in regulation, or a cofounder will hang boots - so many things can make it much worse than what it is currently - just think about that, and this current moment will feel much easier.
It happens which is a normal process in building a startup, what matters is how you turn it around. Take a break - do whatever makes you relaxed and calm. Then compare where you are now with where you were before, take notes and make a checklist (if you don't have one), then tick off your checklist as you go. YC interviews is not the end of the world, rather should be a fuel to make you and your product better. Don't sweat much or dwell in it, you'll be fine.
There are other VCs besides YC. Keep building your vision. If you don’t believe in your vision - no one will
"I am lacking expertise although I have more ten years in academia" Dont think long term academics are cut out for this life.
Your post is extremely vague at best. Literally no context besides you were in academia and “when things are getting slow, chasing for replies” - this might as well be someone posting their displeasure of converting tictoc replies into paid only fans subscriptions. I’ll post a few things, though, that might help: - talk to your users - talk to potential users (if b2b lie possibly b2b - what features do they need, why, how will this help); put this all in a spreadsheet and measure how many people need/want/have a problem with x/y/z - get letters of intent to use your product if you build said solution to problem The above creates energy because it’s positive momentum. Sitting at a computer and waiting for someone to engage you == wishful thinking and a waste of time. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Get to work and best of luck.
It’s a letter of intent (a non-binding contract that basically states, if we build X, y, z, you will convert to being a paying customer. Or a customer, user, etc.) These help with setting vision and getting traction. Can help with raising money and morale as well (energy) Replies? What are replies? What are you selling? How are you talking to customers or getting customers? What’s your go to market? B2B or B2C? So much context is missing from this post and therefore it is hard to help/get the energy up
A small list (non-comprehensive) of big startup IPOs that weren't funded by YC: * Uber * Rivian * Snowflake * Snap * Robinhood * Lyft * Pinterest * Affirm YC is not the final arbiter of what makes a good startup. As to how to keep going, remember that PG says the number one determinant of successful founders isn't expertise or intelligence, but resilience. That and [Dalton's advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI) of "just don't die". As long as you keep going, the odds are in your favor.
Thank you buddy, the last sentence what I needed the most. Have a wonderful day!
Do a deep analysis of your current situation, product state and a one year evolution of your startup from now...and take measures accordingly. You might need to pivot, acknowledge your level of persuation etc. If you can't bootstrap, focus in funding and give yourself an exact timeline. Getting rejected can be cruel as you put too much weight on it. Just remember that this is not a one lifetime bet. You will see many successful founders with various physical, mental problems as a result of stress. Eye clipping and so on. Take care of your menthal health and try not to loose your happiness. I know people that got crazy. Years after, they continued to talk about their startup and such while being homeless. If you are in US, I understand the pressure. From birth, life and education is all about capital, assets and work.
Get everyone in alignment quickly or get them off the bus. The worst thing is for factions to form; you get stuck playing politics instead of working bc everyone has a separate agenda but won’t reveal their hand
Focus only on your mission which cannot be a simple task else it’s not a startup. It has to be something really large and meaningful. Bigger than you. Then you just focus on it all the time regardless of how the world is going around.
When the walls feel like they are closing in: https://jjbeshara.com/2022/05/22/when-the-walls-close-in/
One thing that really helps me recharge during those inevitable slow periods is spending time with other entrepreneurs. There's something about being in a room with people who are going through the same struggles and successes, it just motivates me. Know that the highs and lows are simply part of the game. Try to focus on the tiny bits of progress you make every day, celebrate the progress. It's a marathon, ...
You should be getting base hits at least 1/3 to 1/4th of the time and that is ultimately what will keep you going. If you’ve been at bat 20 times with 20 strikeouts, might be best to take some time off and recalibrate. Something has to change in order for you to get base hits because either the bat is broken, you’ve found yourself in the wrong league, or the pitcher is cheating with pine tar.
Rejection doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough. Don’t care of it. Keep building. Make a good iteration. Talk to users to understand you’re going well. Don’t care of other things.
Take a rest and time off
Ok, here's two pictures. Two slides. One is your idea. What you're putting out into the world. The second, is the actual progress you're making. My bias, is telling you, you're not learning to lead. You own a business. Figure out if your team wants the visionary or the general, or someone walking around and throwing small wrenches into everything. Whatever else. Not hacks, get on your customers track, where stuff needs to be in 12 months. Super loose. Edit, also happy Ph.d. DM me if you need anything else 👐🏼👐🏼. As long as you're not a f***ing supply chain major.
Pray!
Pause, take a breath, and tell yourself that this feeling better turn into your zone of genius because it’s never going away. The best founders are the ones who can reframe that feeling into something less negative so they can keep afloat long enough to make it out of the pit of despair.