Advice Needed
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Bump. Fascinating
YC has a good reputation. It's not what it used to be as class sizes are huge now, but it's a sign to people that you're not a moron. I would do it because you do build some pedigree having raised from YC.
Taking entrepreneurial levels of risk is also a lot harder later in life.
IMO, go for it. Think regret minimization. :)
This would be a harder decision if you were not raising from YC. As mentioned...it opens up a ton of doors. Almost like doing an internship at GS or something. BTW if you want, you can DM me and I am happy to put you in touch with some friends that have gone through YC. One was in consulting prior and the other I can't remember.
Just some generic life advise building on top of what m_1 already tactfully laid out: you're presumably young, even if you fail your background that landed you a SA BB role will carry weight even IF your start up fails.
Go for it and god speed, my man.
YC any day of the week. It looks great for future applications for jobs and business school even if you fail. It’s an unforgettable opportunity and I’m certain regardless of the outcome you will build your skill set and knowledge working with a business hands on. Any employer will recognize that in finance and tech.
Tech banker here. The biggest regret I have is going into finance because it is so risk-averse. You're not really building anything new and you pretty much just leverage the same materials that others have done to solve problems. Unless you really mess up or get caught in a major downturn, you're good.
If you want to build something, solve problems that will really challenge you, and grow then I would go to YC. Finance is a great route and all but the reason why some VC funds will only take previous operators is that you are truly challenged in developing a product, solving operational problems, and scaling it out.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many, no matter way the startup goes you can use your experience as an operator out in SF. Failure is kind of like a badge of honor in the bay area. To a certain extent, having YC is some level of validation for what you're wanting to do. This is something that cannot be understated. Many have an idea they believe in but very few will be believed in by others.
I think one of the funniest stories I had heard was one of our senior guys had blasted one of his friends for spending so much time on a research project/startup while in college saying it would never take off and that it would fail. We just did a capital raise for that company and the guy is still in banking, still moving up but not with significant upside while they raised a hefty sum.
Reach out to your internship in NYC and maybe see if they can defer it. Worse comes to worst they say no and you can fully commit or you can look at your optionality in a year or so.
Happy to answer any other questions via PM.
Wow congrats on these awesome opportunities. I would personally go with Y Combinator for a shot at greatness in case the startup works out.
Do you mind sharing what your startup does at a very general level?
I wish I had the chance for yc. I think you should take it. Such a unique experience and it can turn into something big down the road
Do YC and apply for HBS 2+2. HBS deferred program specifically look for people like you taking on entrepreneurship early on and hopes to be the “safety net” you are talking about. That way, if your start up does not work out, you can fall back on HBS or any other deferred MBAs.
Another vote for YC here. this is a significant enough brand name to make sure you have plenty of options within VC and startups to keep you on a great trajectory even if this startup itself doesnt work out
YC any day of the week. 2nd all the comments above. Having something of your own weighs way more than an IB internship
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