While it may have been better to wait another few days, the application process is nearly over. I'm trying to determine how much an online demo actually matters in the process.
In the case of Zenter, things they'd previously built helped them get accepted. They didn't actually have an online demo of what they were proposing.
Well online demo may be just a rain-check to show that you know the technology you are using, you know what you are doing and in short to show you are on right track. Sometimes describing how you would go about doing stuff will also go a long way too
Right. So this experiment is to determine if online demos matter at all. Perhaps all Paul, Jessica, RTM and Trevor care about is a good idea (or not so good idea) with a solid team. In fact, they probably only care about a solid team. Reddit's idea was entirely changed after they applied.
I'll be interested to see if by tomorrow anyone's actually confirmed that they've looked. Then next cycle we can refocus our efforts on areas that matter more.
The big advantage to working on the online demo is it gets you working on the product. Ultimately, that's what'll make you succeed or fail, not whether you get YC funding. I can't imagine anything else in the application process that matters more.
My team isn't really focusing on the app demo for YC's sake. It actually looks kinda ugly, since layout and design is one of the last things we're working on. But we were planning to launch on the weekend of the 20-21st, and still probably will if we aren't invited to Mountain View. So in order to hit the launch date, we need to work on it anyway.
Nope. I didn't apply to YC because I feel it'll increase my chances of success. I know I'm going to succeed; how 'bout you? ;)
I applied because that's where I want to be. Out of all the places I could go in life, I can't imagine a better place than with a bunch of smart and motivated people working on businesses.
So let's assume we're all going to succeed, and we all want in. Knowing which things matter more than other things is invaluable.
Of course, they wouldn't tell us to focus on question X. If they did, it would skew the results. So the only way to determine what matters is to run experiments like this one.
I recall it was specifically mentioned not to rely on an online demo. It's only a part of the overall process.
I suspect many of those questions reveal aspects of the applicants that aren't necessarily obvious. The questions on the app were all stimulating and I wouldn't recommend trying to second-guess any of it.
a demo is important -- we (weebly) had a launched product when we interviewed, and it was very helpful in a "we can focus the conversation" type of way.
In the case of Zenter, things they'd previously built helped them get accepted. They didn't actually have an online demo of what they were proposing.