Great advice! The other thing I'd add is to get at least 4-5 YC alum to review your application in a Google doc and do practice interviews with them if you make it to the next round. Also, if you have friends who've done YC before, get them to recommend you!
I LOVE this. I pitched something similar (albeit far less intelligent) to my last employer only to get scoffed at, so it makes me really happy to see someone actually make and productize it. Wishing you success!
The demo videos with different block types are super interesting. Assuming there are plans to add image blocks or other rich/dynamic media? Could see that being very powerful as new models are made accessible.
This was one of the coolest demos I've seen in a while. You should share that number around more prominently (and get more bandwidth, starting to get errors!), it does a fantastic job of explaining what you do.
The recent progress is truly something else. My friends who are in tech and/or are founders have been talking about this a lot -- it feels palpable, as if there's something in the air.
I don't feel dread but I do feel slight unease. I also feel excitement because I am still optimistic about the future, and feel that if we are lucky, we may get to witness something special.
EDIT: To all of those arguing GPT or ChatGPT answers are not great, try using it to write some code before you make any judgement.
This was my biggest “a-ha” realization around crypto, that the distribution model is utterly and irreparably broken for the most popular currencies. Whenever I bring this up with BTC/crypto maximalists their counterpoint is that fiat is also unevenly distributed and that it’s not a novel problem. The disconnect is truly puzzling.
> How long did you take to 'rebuild your savings'?
It depends on the pay, current expenses, etc. For me, it would take 1-2 years on average (US tech job paying base close to $200k).
> Is there a target amount you computed? And how does it translate across living expenses, because I'm not living in Silicon Valley nor America.
This varies based on expenses and needs but generally, I would suggest at least 12 months of runway (for me this would be about $50-60k with some buffer, given that I support my family financially). This may take considerably longer for you if you're not in America.
> Is the prospect of not retiring in your 60s a possibility for you?
I am optimizing for financial security much sooner than 60. While I have an IRA account, it's not something I focus on or think about (or even actively invest into outside of when I have a tech job). I have a very high risk tolerance though, so take that with a grain of salt.
The question I always ask myself in these situations is: what am I optimizing for? Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you'd like to optimize for starting a family in the next 2 years. If that is true, you probably already know the answer to the question in your title.
One other thing: taking a break is not the same as giving up. I've tried and failed at multiple startups, taking jobs in between to rebuild my savings. There is always opportunity cost and risk involved in all that we do, you just have to learn to be comfortable with whatever decision you make.
What were the other sites HN users would hang out at back then? Slashdot? Google groups and listservs? Was HN really the first true "community" for this audience?