apply for Y Combinator W2017

[chadwhitacre]

Working Drafts

• Gratipay
• Chad
• Kwesi
• video

  Previous

• 2017, pre-Walker
• 2014
• I don't find a ticket for 2012.
• 2005(?) is lost to the sands of time. :)

Next

Todo

• [x] percentage growth numbers by month since Gratipocalypse
• [x] surprising or amusing discovery
• [x] video
• [x] bios
• [x] LOC

[chadwhitacre]

From: YC Subject: YC Winter 2017 Application Deadline Today

Hi whit537,

We're emailing you because you created an application for the Winter 2017 batch and we noticed that it hasn't been submitted yet. We just wanted to remind you that the deadline for applications to be submitted is 10/4 at 8pm Pacific Time.

To submit or edit your application, please login to https://apply.ycombinator.com/ with your Hacker News account (whit537).

Please note that every cofounder needs to have their own Hacker News account and have their email address added to the application. Each one of you will need to fill out separate information separate from the main application.

Thanks for applying and we look forward to reading your application!

[chadwhitacre]

It's weird to apply in the non-profit track and say "We are going to make something people want."

[chadwhitacre]

Rather than "We are going to cure disease" or whatever.

[kaguillera]

It's weird to apply in the non-profit track and say "We are going to make something people want."

We can make something people want/need and don't charge them for it. Isn't that what we are trying to make? And isn't that what open source and non-profit organizations kind-of are?

Rather than "We are going to cure disease" or whatever.

Not all non-profits cure disease. e.g. non profit programs that try to promote the arts and music. These organizations are not curing diseases but I think that most people would agree that it is necessary to make well rounded individuals

[chadwhitacre]

Yeah, fair enough.

[kaguillera]

Reviewing the application now...

[kaguillera]

We survived because we are a cockroach.

Had liked the previous version...

(yay cockroach)

[kaguillera]

If you've applied previously with the same idea, how much progress have you made since the last time you applied? Anything change? ...

It's taken us over a year to stabilize after the Gratipocalypse—don't forget we still had to deal with the Balanced shutdown that triggered the Gratipocalypse in the first place, sans Stripe. Despite all that, we still have respectable seller-side growth. 🚀 We're now starting to work on the buyer side again.

I don't see the need to repeat we basically stated above...thus suggest.

_It's taken us over a year to stabilize after the Gratipocalypse and we still have respectable seller-side growth. 🚀 We're now starting to work on the buyer side again._

[kaguillera]

Why did you pick this idea to work on? Do you have domain expertise in this area? How do you know this is going to work? ... Yes. We have earned extensive domain expertise the hard way, by trying and failing. Chad's local Citizens Bank branch now treats him with awe and respect mixed with fear; they had not previously been graced with the attention of the bank's SVP / Director for AML and Sanctions Compliance. 😮 We were also rejected by Stripe (twice), Transpay (twice), Payoneer, and ZipMark.

Not sure we need this since????

[kaguillera]

What's new about what you plan to do?

The new thing on the buyer side is the hack that John Resig came up with for decentralizing Khan Academy's giving: http://ejohn.org/blog/gittip-at-khan-academy/. He solved the allocation problem (one lump budget, many open source projects) by giving each of the developers inside Khan a portion of the budget to allocate. We want to bake that into the product itself.

Love this it is a lot more clearer.

[chadwhitacre]

since????

Since what? I think it shows that we are relentlessly resourceful.

[kaguillera]

Sorry I was going to say since I ready somewhere ( cant find it now) that the answers should be concise. I have just finished and I don't think that anything is a deal breaker. Just suggestions and my opinion.

Since what? I think it shows that we are relentlessly resourceful.

Fair enough. I could work with that. I like it. I know that you are still going to obsess about it so if you make any changes before you submit and want me to look at it again just ping me. I have my phone on me so I will look at it. That said it is good.

[chadwhitacre]

the answers should be concise.

https://github.com/gratipay/inside.gratipay.com/issues/836#issuecomment-251237517, wherein also:

be as specific and as matter-of-fact as you can.

[kaguillera]

This is why I think I did not finish the question...

[chadwhitacre]

I don't see the need to repeat we basically stated above...thus suggest.

Change made. 👍

Had liked the previous version...

Okay, I've added that back here:

It's taken us over a year to stabilize after the Gratipocalypse, yet we still have respectable seller-side growth. 🚀 Yay, cockroach! Now we're starting to work on the buyer side again.

[chadwhitacre]

Sorry I was going to say since I ready somewhere ( cant find it now) that the answers should be concise.

I've tightened up that paragraph a bit:

Yes. We have earned extensive domain expertise the hard way. Chad's local branch of Citizens Bank can now boast of having received the attention of the bank's SVP / Director for AML and Sanctions Compliance. 😮 We were also rejected by Stripe (twice), Transpay (twice), Payoneer, and ZipMark.

[chadwhitacre]

Alright, I think we're ready to go here, ya? 3 ... 2 ...

[kaguillera]

Crossing my fingers... there should be an emojicon for that...

[chadwhitacre]

Boom. :shipit:

[chadwhitacre]

Er ... 1! 1. :-)

[chadwhitacre]

Oh no! Of course I get an email back from Walker just now! Application unsubmitted, comments in a sec ...

[kaguillera]

Burr??

[chadwhitacre]

From: Walker at Teespring

Sure! Quick thoughts.

1. I get why you're putting something playful in the 50 characters or less, but what they are looking for is a quick description of the company, and I actually don't think this will play well. I'd be more direct about what you guys do here.
2. I think the same applies for the 2nd answer, I get that you're paying homage to the YC values but I think you should be talking about how more and more of the web relies on open source projects, and that this is the solution to allow those projects to self-sustain and for organizations to be responsible in supporting the platforms they use. The trend will only continue with people relying on open source libraries and systems built by others, there has to be a better way for organizations to support this work that is done for them.
3. I'm not sure this is a marketplace. People don't come here to discover things to support, they likely support the things they already use. I think of it as a similar model to Patreon for open-source projects.
4. You need to emphasize more about the relationship you have with your co-founders, "founder breakups" are the leading cause of early stage companies dying. You're not spending a lot of time on it, but you need to give the reviewers confidence that you aren't going to break when you end up pulling 20 hour days together for 3 years. Definitely one of the most important questions to answer properly. They need to think "these two are unshakable".
5. If you don't have growth today, I'd reframe the "launched" as early launch or alpha/beta. You need to show that this can explode and become ubiquitous. Right now they are going to wonder "why isn't this growing?"
6. Buyers/sellers doesn't really resonate here (to me), feels more like "supporters/projects".
7. On the idea, I don't think calling out that a previous project only got one user is a good call. It's a funny story, but I think it casts doubt on the ability to drive growth. I'd reframe it to something that shows you realized that there was so much incredible open source work going on, that almost every major company relies on, and that it wouldn't be too hard to get these people some real meaningful support. A system that allows companies to feel good/okay about their reliance on free work, and gives the people who do that incredible work the means to continue to build great software.
8. I think the infrastructure you're building evolving into a framework for basic income is a really cool idea, and shows vision. I'd incorporate it up above when talking about the idea to show that you're thinking this could be enormous.

Hope that's helpful!

[kaguillera]

So what do we do? And can we do anything now?

[chadwhitacre]

Is Patreon big enough that we should be saying "Patreon for open source"?

[chadwhitacre]

@kaguillera I unsubmitted our application so we can edit and resubmit. We still have a few hours.

[chadwhitacre]

That would be unfortunate because we say iTunes in our video.

[kaguillera]

ok how do we do this. You will make the changes and I will review it?

[mattbk]

Is Patreon big enough that we should be saying "Patreon for open source"?

I would think so, but I think that sort of definition skims over what makes Gratipay different.

Sorry I'm doing drivebys, I can't spend a lot of time on anything this week.

[kaguillera]

I think that we can stick with the iTunes in the video and add other anologies in the application form itself

[kaguillera]

not a problem @mattbk any input is welcome right @whit537

[chadwhitacre]

that sort of definition skims over what makes Gratipay different.

Sure, that'll have to be the next paragraph, basically "Patreon isn't friendly for companies to use." Companies need a paper trail, multi-user account management, probably SSO, and decentralized budget allocation.

[chadwhitacre]

ok how do we do this. You will make the changes and I will review it?

Yeah, I guess so. Editing now ...

[kaguillera]

cool just ping when you are ready for review... @mattbk you should look at it also if you have time

[chadwhitacre]

We need to have a zero-failure mentality. Failure is not appropriate to think about here.

[chadwhitacre]

Except when it is. 😳

[kaguillera]

Except when it is

A mentality or not appropriate to think about?

[chadwhitacre]

Well, above we said we wanted to list our failures to demonstrate our resiliency, but I guess that's different from reveling in failure as a funny story.

[kaguillera]

Yes and no. I think that the failure still show resilience and determination. Showing that we are willing to fight and that we can dust our selves off and get back on the horse when we are thrown to the ground. Cockroach! we may want to be more serious about it though.

[chadwhitacre]

Well, the "exactly one user" is the wrong kind of failure, it sounds like Walker is saying.

[kaguillera]

OK...I am little confused who is "exactly one user"?

[chadwhitacre]

From this paragraph:

Why did you pick this idea to work on?

In 2012, Chad made his first paid app, IHasAMoney.com (“personal finance for geeks”). It attracted exactly one user, who paid $2.99/mo and forgot his password and never used the app. A light went off, "If I had 1,000 people paying $2.99/mo I could just work on open source full time! Hmm ..."

[kaguillera]

So you are saying that does not show much of a market demand...true. But over the years that hypothesis has been proven to be true as is evident by the life thus far of Gratipay. The one exactly one user sparked the current project that shows even more promise. Do I make sense?

[chadwhitacre]

@kaguillera Yes but I think YC wants to see more ruthlessness. :)

[kaguillera]

fair enough, I understand. Just don't to lose where the idea originated but it it is not necessary then you can leave it out.

[chadwhitacre]

I'm not sure this is a marketplace. People don't come here to discover things to support, they likely support the things they already use. I think of it as a similar model to Patreon for open-source projects.

I think we stick with "marketplace." It's technically correct and I don't go to Amazon to discover things, but rather to buy things I already know I want. Patreon is a marketplace in terms of its business model, with sellers (artists) and buyers (patrons). The point of framing it as a marketplace is to say that we need to grow both sides of the network simultaneously, we are bringing them together.

[kaguillera]

I agree since in the future Gratipay can become the goto place to find open source projects that you want to fund. I am sure people share go fund me to potential charities ( could be wrong )

[chadwhitacre]

I'm finding the Patreon reference distracting, because then we have to talk about how we're different from Patreon, and I'd rather that come later.

[kaguillera]

ok then try something different possibly a non-tech example. (sadly I can't think of anything)

[kaguillera]

time check?