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@Velocio
Last year, when the idea was too nascent and nebulous, a YCombinator alumni I know wanted to pair up and submit an application. This we did.
We did fine in the process, except the alumni who was helping open the door also inadvertently closed it. It turned out he still had his existing company and was still building his house (literally). And YC's view (as I understand it second-hand) seemed to be that there was no way we could focus on the new thing whilst the old things were still there. Go away and come back when you are focused and able to do this.
It was far too early, and since then I've quit work, realigned my life so that I can live within the monthly stipend, and evolved the idea into something I can communicate and implement.
Now we're in a better place, and so we've applied again. Refined idea, different team. I'm the only one that remains the same, and I've put down 6pt and the developer too. So we would be three... if we get onto YC.
The YC plan is in all likelihood not going to work. Only 3% get accepted, and last year over 4,600 companies applied for it. There is lots that counts against us: We're UK based, I'm over 30yrs old, they already own reddit and another forum might be conflict of interest. But then there's lots that count for us: We have an existing forum and community, we have domain experience, we have a team that balances the required skills.
So we'll see... we'll be told in 5 days whether we have an interview in San Francisco. And if we do, then we're in the 10% that get that far.
We wouldn't be going to YC for the money (it's less than we need to get through a bootstrapped year). Nor would we be going for the mentoring (even though we do need our skill gaps filled).
We'd be going to join other companies in an intense environment and to basically compete and focus. To work 18hr days, wake up and work again. To watch the other startups and see what works and what doesn't work. To feed off that energy.
We'd go for the exposure to that environment and the absolute focus it will deliver.
So if we get it... we hope to move faster than if we were here, and potentially meet investors who might fund the Series A.
But if we don't get it... well we're doing this anyway.