What questions on the application do you look most for and you feel the other partners look at as well?

When applying to YC, if you have a four or five person start-up team, if one member isn't able to come to Silicon Valley, but the rest are (3/4 or 4/5), how much does that penalize you?

The big problem is a 4 or 5 person founding team. That's a high bar to get over (but possible, one startup I really like in this batch has 5 founders).

Be so good we can't ignore you.

Thank you! Why would you say 4 or 5 person founding teams are a big problem?

It is difficult to keep 4-5 people perfectly aligned which is necessary early in a startups life, especially if all of them have equal say.

Losing days to arguing over what the best course of action is a startup killer

Sam,

What would you say is the average amount of times a company applies before a. getting an interview at YC and b. actually getting in?

It is often on the first time. The 7th time is the highest count I know of. It's common for it to be on the second or third time.

If we reject a company at interviews, we'll say what our objection is. If you reapply and that isn't fixed, you're unlikely to get in.

More generally, fast progress is something we really look for when deciding to fund startups.

Besides applicants ignoring feedback, do prior failed applications influence your decision at all?

What if the feedback is 'we think the market is too small'. It seems the way to improve is drastically change the product (/pivoting), or is there another way?

I don't consider it puffery. It was more or less about the general idea of the promise of startups in the new age, less about their opinions. It's about having more resources available than ever to innovate and really be passionate about your idea, leading to future success.

Great article -- the team is so important, collaboration is key and you learn by doing.

Make a product people love and can use everyday!