Apply. Apply Again. Again. And Again.
Applied to YC: Rejected
Talked to 20 Investors: No Funding.
Built a web app: No Sales
Applied to YC Startup School: Rejected (then everyone was let in)
Made Sales for my Startup: $1,700 woo!
Applied to YC: Rejected
Applied to Iterative: Rejected
Bogged down in building a new web app. Launched a side project because I wanted to launch something in a day.
Better Sheets was born first week of April.
A few weeks ago I applied to AppSumo's pilot "Sumo-ling Spotlight" program
700 applied
10 finalists. Of which I was one.
And then... and then.... and then... BOOM I'm in. 🎉 🎉 🎉
Better Sheets is listed on App Sumo!
I think I'll be applying to YC later this year.
Congrats on your AppSumo launch! This rules.
The reason why I'm writing is that I want to help others do what you did. Stick with it. Learn from what they're doing. And eventually, figure out how to make money from what they're making.
I teach a class about beginning to make things at a few colleges and in our community. These are some seriously talented makers, and a lot of my work with makers is focused on helping them to keep going. I've been wanting to make a product to help. And we've just started making something.
So, I'm curious ... what kept you going?
Btw - Keeping motivated is hard for us, too. So, I write down the little steps we've been figuring out.
What keeps me going is Who I do it for. I'm not stuck on what I'm doing.
I help creators. I was an online video maker, creator, filmmaker, twitterer, etc.
My friends are all entertainers, filmmakers, comedians etc. I know the struggle and the joy of creating something from nothing. The joy of seeing something you make, make someone's day is immeasurable.
It's partly imposter syndrome. I'm a terrible comedian. I'm a terrible filmmaker. So i choose to enable others far more talented than myself.
It's very hard to be artistically gifted and business minded.
for 5 years I helped ppl grow their following.
then they asked "how do I monetize?" So i answered that and built a web app to keep track of it.... and so on and so on.
Keep talking to ppl you want to talk to.
Surround yourself with ppl you think are awesome and just help. Be helpful. Learn things they need done.
Hurrah! Better Sheets FTW!
Much happy! thanks mate!
Smart insight. Google Sheets Skills can be a superpower.
Truly one of the dorkiest super powers! A superpower nonetheless.
Awesome, Andrew! Love your story and tenacity. Thanks for sharing. And congrats 🎉🎈👏
Thanks Billy!!!
Why is YC's permission so important for you to just get started and bringing in revenue?
Sounds like the opposite of what a self-starting entrepreneur would do.
Joining an incubator like YC makes it easier to get funding and it also shortens the learning curve of you figuring out how to run a startup and many other things but most importantly funding which is important for expansion
It's not about YCs permission. Not sure how you came to that conclusion from this post.
Persistence is the kye. Congrats @AndrewKamphey
Tenacity.
Sometimes it's best to quit everything! and start fresh.
Awesome work! Congrats!
Why do YC? What's the point? For something like Better Sheets, it seems like something you could bootstrap do pretty well with.
Applied to YC for HypeLetter
Better Sheets is definitely bootstrapped :)
To go faster?
Congratulations! Let me ask you, If you would have to do it all over again from scratch, (no ideas), what will you do differently?
Huge huge congrats on your AppSumo launch Andrew! Well deserved! 🥳
You've been a great inspiration to me! Many thanks for helping me with setting up my newsletter as well. 🙏
Congratulations!
This is amazing Andrew! And a great message as well - failure is a teacher! This is a cool concept, with all the software out there - it's hard being educated on how to use all the products in a way that boosts productivity. I recently learned that I could use my local currency on Google Sheets, and it changed my life forever!
Are you using googlefinance formula for that?
No, it was just very hidden under the 123 icon > More formats > More currencies
of course. just formatting for currency is hard to find!
Amazing, congrats!!!!
Much thanks!
Amazing!
I got my first serious rejection last week.
I applied to a few cohorts for pre-accelerators in London and made to the Office Hours of Forward Partners. Didn't get the funding.
Congrats for the perseverance!
Nice!
This is awesome. Could you share some of your takeaways after each outcome? I've been rejected from VCs, and even without any feedback, I always tend to learn something new and that actually leads me to try harder.
Not sure if this will make sense: feedback from VCs is always "wrong". But their decision is always "right".
In my case I had a VC say no because the market is too small. They want a big market? with lots of competition? you gotta make the market!
They will be right more than they ever will be wrong. By the very nature of looking for 100x and 50x companies, they only will have 1 out of a portfolio of a dozen or so. right? And see 500 companies in a year. But 495 companies will fail.
Biggest takeaway: Investors aren't users.
Other Takeaways:
Biggest takeaway from the failed webapp I made last year: No Feedback is feedback. Read between the lines. If nobody uses it, nobody needs it. No matter your "pitch" or persuasiveness.
I've built better sheets with just a few no code tools. Biggest complaint right now is not enough and not organized. 2 simple remedies to that. Make more and organize.
These are two problems I wouldn't have if I just had a dream and a landing page.
Fantastic. Would be very interesting to hear about your experience with App Sumo
So far their team has been excellent. They are absolute pros at what they do.
I think persistence, as well as the confidence to maintain that persistence to a point where you can show results for it, is definitely a trait that defines good, eventually good founders.
I like using the word "Tenacity" which has a meaning like grip. Can you grasp the situation in front of you and get it done? Are you able to grip with harsh realities? Can you quit? To quit takes tenacity.. not just grit.
"The Dip" was probably the best business book I ever read.
Hustling hard is okay, and good, but hustling hard for something that is and will always fail, sucks.
Guess I'm adding another book to the 'must read' pile ;)
Nice one!
Glad you liked it.
Thanks for motivation! :) Heart that AppSumo can give you many leads which is awesome !
It's nice.