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Most blogs that describe tips and best practices when applying to YC have one advice in common - "Get customers", "Prove that someone needs your product", "Get
by thrwy10 12y ago
Most blogs that describe tips and best practices when applying to YC have one advice in common - "Get customers", "Prove that someone needs your product", "Get signups, email addresses" etc. And while that is a *very8 valid and important point, for some of us though its harder than that.
Even if one has a prototype, the companies they work for have strict policies that prevent doing business on the side, let alone the fact that the H1 visa also explicitly prevents you from having any other source of income or starting a corp. The only options would be to go all in and go to their home country to develop the product further, at which point they've abandoned everything they've worked hard for all this while, - or - wait for a green card, which is elusive if you are from one of the populous Asian countries. What other options does one have? Have any H1s successfully made it to YC? Could they describe their experience?
Also, please correct me if I'm wrong here, but despite assurances from YC folk and Sam himself that you can and should apply even if you have just an idea or prototype, blog after blog suggest you need to be much further than that to get through the tough competition.
- d0m 12y agoYC is just three months, you don't need a visa. (Although most experts say you'd put the chance on your side to get one and move to the bay.) >> [...] should apply even if you have just an idea or prototype, [...] Yeah.. this one I'm not sure. I would say it really depends of how formidable the team is and what's the idea. Most YC companies joined with some tractions and market validation. If you really don't have a prototype, then you need to somehow convey that it has product market fit and how you can execute it. Just speculating here, but it could be that you have had previous startup experience, or maybe some unfair advantage, or you have an exceptional team that have been working together for 10 years, whatever.
- thrwy10 12y agoThe question is not about the visa after you get into YC and moving to the Bay area, its about starting a business while on a visa that prevents that. For After, you could move from an H1 to a B1, or apply for a H1 using the newly formed company with the money YC gives you. But what about before? Looks like no one has done this yet.
- d0m 12y agoIf this is really what is stopping you from starting your business or applying to YC, feel free to send me an email and I could walk you through what process we used (Same situation here: different country, applied to YC, establishing ourselves in the bay).