How We Applied Twice for the Same YC Batch

In September, the author's team was iterating on ideas for a startup. They developed a 2-day invalidation process to ensure they didn't waste time on bad ideas. One idea that couldn't be disqualified after two days was an integrated banking, accounting, and tax service for gig economy workers, with revenue coming from credit card interchange fees. The market size was large, but the challenge was consistent messaging across multiple verticals. They decided to start with drivers due to significant opportunities in tax cuts through mileage deductions. After a week of trying to disqualify the idea, they applied to Y Combinator (YC) before the deadline. They continued their invalidation process by talking to industry people and even Uber and Lyft drivers. However, they received discouraging information from insiders at both companies about similar fintech products being developed for free with the same business model. The team decided to withdraw their YC application three days before the interview. They returned to iterating on ideas and eventually found another idea that couldn't be disqualified: taking on operational complexity in data exchanges between a data provider and consumer. After three weeks, they applied again to YC and got accepted with this new idea. YC accepts "pre-idea projects" as there is a high chance the ideas will evolve during their program. They focus more on the team's experience, ability to build products autonomously, and how they iterate and learn fast. The author emphasizes that perseverance and quick iteration can be important factors in getting accepted into YC.