Jacqueline Cheong’s Post

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. And it has had a ripple effect on how I share online. Last month we applied to Y Combinator. We were working on the application for 2 weeks. The needed clarity and conciseness forced us to really go deep into research, thinking, and A LOT of writing. Uncovering learnings for our vision and planned execution. It was 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the same time. Exciting because getting in would mean forgetting about the pressures of self-funding our company, and going through the most coveted startup program in the world. Terrifying because somehow 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 than any other decision we could make on our own. So I chose not to share it in public like I did everything else. I was afraid of judgement if we failed. Something I thought I had moved past. And because it was occupying all of my mind space. It meant I had nothing else to share. So 𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁. However, with some time and reflection, I’ve come to the natural realization that 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻: 🟡 that our product isn’t worth it 🟡 that WE aren’t worth it There could be a million reason why we get rejected. And none of them are going to make us stop working on easybranding. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. We believe in 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. And we believe in 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. YC is an amazing opportunity for growth. But it’s just one of the many paths we can take towards our ultimate goal. So by publicly stating it I’m letting go of whatever hold fear had over me. And 𝗜’𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗳��𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝘀. Because honestly, we are doing great 😎 #buildinpublic #startup

Rejected by Y Combinator? Well, you're not the only one. Being accepted into YC is more of a culture fit than anything else. YC founders share some common features. It's super easy to spot them, actually. Not all are superior founders, although many are. YC founders are usually: - very concise and deliberate in how they talk - great story tellers - super confident - often ex Stanford / MIT / Caltech or if from Europe Oxford / Cambridge - often ex meta / google / palantir / stripe or another well known tech company / scale up - hustler / hacker / designer founding team YC managers are pattern matching on the above plus some other features. Sure, sometimes a random startup from Eastern Europe gets in, but most teams follow the above, for good or bad. Not being accepted simply means you deviate from the YC norm a bit too far. Does it mean you should not work on concise communication, story telling and your confidence? Of course not! But you also should not worry too much about the lack of YC fit. Talk to customers, build something they want, scale..that's the recipe for a successful startup, YC-backed or not. Go build!

We're just hours away from Demo Day at Y Combinator! When Sidharth Choraria and I joined YC, we had no clue that these three months would be so crazy. We've learned many valuable lessons, and here's a summary of the key takeaways and reflections: 1. Customer-Centricity - Understanding the needs and desires of your customers is key. 2. Embracing First Principles - Think creatively and use resources wisely to challenge norms. Stay flexible and considerate in achieving more with less. 3. Avoid overthinking -Focus on what truly matters. Build a product people want and find ways to deliver it effectively. These lessons, coupled with numerous learnings and unlearnings, are shaping our journey in the startup world. Excited about the path ahead! Best of luck to all of YC W24! 😄 #demoday #ycombinator

Y Combinator was a force to be reckoned with for almost the entirety of my time at Fast Company, and while it was always present -- generating characters, innovative companies, etc -- FC hadn't dug into how it operates and the power of its formidable network since 2015. Until today. Ainsley Harris did a masterful job trying to understand the leading tech accelerator and how it really has become the decentralized corporate giant that had been its founder's ambition. [Hat tip as well to Anne Latini and Mike Schnaidt for the brilliant art direction.] Y Combinator has turned "building" into a job and becoming a company founder into a career. But what is that actually like? Is the YC network only getting stronger as it grows? Are there risks to its dominance in Silicon Valley (and increasingly, the world)? For the tens of thousands of founders who apply to YC every six months for its vaunted batches, you have to read this story before you do. https://lnkd.in/e9HxHvxD

As we know, Y Combinator is a game-changer in the startup world. It has incubated and mentored early-stage companies, giving birth to big names like Airbnb, Reddit, Twitch, and Instacart. Its influence on Silicon Valley is huge, shaping the tech scene and boosting the US economy. But as the US landscape changes, the impact of software successes might shift. Read this article explores YC's role, its industry impact, and how changes in the US economy might affect it. https://lnkd.in/df8pMzdB

Today is the deadline to apply to Y Combinator. Here's how it changed Henry Dornier and I's life: 2016: Met YC partners at campus office hours at Princeton. I told them we were going to launch the beta of Meetingbird in 5 months - they told us to email them if we shipped it in 15 days instead. Cancelled spring break plans, launched in 2 weeks, and our side project turned into a real company 2017: Got the S17 acceptance call from Gustaf Alströmer 🇺🇦, which is one of those founder memories you never forget. Flew from graduation to Mountain View for the craziest 3 months of our life, and raised our seed round thanks to demo day 2018-2023: Acquired by another YC company (Front) and spent 4 great years there 2024: Interviewed 10+ YC founders for idea validation, and 3 of our first 5 Alpharun customers were YC companies So yes, apply!

Just returned from an inspiring retreat with Y Combinator and we're buzzing with new insights and energy! 🌟 The retreat was packed with incredible activities, from ice sculpting and pickleball to fascinating talks by both founders and group partners. Here are some key takeaways that stuck with me: - Resilience is Key: Embracing uncertainty and learning to deal with anxiety positively can make a huge difference. - User-Centric Approach: Truly understanding our users and their needs is crucial to developing products that make a real impact. - Cofounder Relationships: Building strong bonds and fostering open communication with your cofounders can be a game-changer. - Good Taste in Products: Developing a strong opinion on product quality by deeply understanding our users’ lives and preferences is vital. Be ready to adapt if new signals contradict your assumptions. A huge thank you to Tom Blomfield, David Lieb, Tyler Bosmeny, Brad Flora, Nate Smith, and all the other awesome YC Group Partners, who shared invaluable wisdom and guided us through the sessions. Also, it was incredible to connect with so many brilliant founders who are on similar journeys. Your stories and insights are truly inspiring! Looking forward to applying these lessons as we continue to build Educato AI (YC S24) with Pierre-Louis Monnot and Codrut Lemeni and make a meaningful impact in the world of online exam prep. Stay tuned for more updates! 🚀 #YCombinator #StartupJourney #EdTech #Startups #Innovation #Founders #Resilience #UserFocus

I just completed my journey through Y Combinator's Startup School, but not because I want to launch a company (at least currently). More so, I was interested in the methodologies of ambition that can be applied to one’s everyday life. While there were a lot of things I disagreed with in principle, here are a few of my takeaways: 1). If you're inexperienced in founding a startup, the best thing to do is to launch one! •This can apply to everyday life as well — for me, it was learning how to code. 2). On building an MVP (minimum viable product) - build something in weeks, not months or years... you want to get your idea out into the world and see if it actually works. •Whether this is launching a product, organizing a political campaign, or writing literature, oftentimes it's extremely beneficial to receive feedback from your audience in almost real-time. 3.) Setting KPIs (key performance indicators) - it's incredibly easy to get trapped into “feeling productive” without actually accomplishing anything. •When delegating your time, constantly ask yourself, “Is this getting me closer to my goal relative to other things?” •My pitfalls are often watching "educational videos" on YouTube, reading nonsensical books, or learning about things that are completely irrelevant. 4.) On pivoting your idea - YC talks a lot about their companies “pivoting” during their batch. Oftentimes, it's about keeping the founding team intact but switching the entire idea of the company (e.g., a company switching from VR to fintech). I think this is completely ludicrous. •Your company should be mission-driven (not for fame, fortune, pleasing others' expectations, etc.). Potentially devoting 10+ years of your life to something that was thought up in a few days is incredibly irrational. Interested to hear all of your thoughts. Thanks for reading. #ycombinator

Last 4 years - A Journey filled with UPs and DOWNs! 🤷♀️ 👩💻 Starting a tech business with just an idea about doing quality work was the beginning after finding out the number of startup founders/teams facing challenges to find the right tech partner or service provider who can understand the needs and product goals. 🛠️ Fast forward through these years of non-stop 12/14-hour days, striving to be better, and here we are with over 60+ clients. It was more than just business decisions; it felt personal every step of the way. Certainly, there were days so challenging that productivity seemed like a distant dream but also many achievements that went unnoticed in the hustle. Bootstrapping meant this was more than a business; it felt like all projects were owned by TechStaunch Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. ❤️ 💡The biggest lesson? It's about finding joy in the challenges, not just getting through them. Staying positive and consistent has been key for me. 🌄 To all the founders out there, remember, the road less traveled might be tough, but the views are worth it. I'm still on my way to where I want us to be, but I can see it getting closer. I hope my story adds a little positivity to your day. ✨ PS: I've joined Y Combinator, getting into product development and on the lookout for dynamic partners to innovate and transform ideas into reality. (I was looking at our team's pics from the 1st year and decided to share this as I felt highly motivated and positive) #BootstrapJourney #TechStartup #FounderLife #Resilience #GrowthMindset #Innovation #YCombinator