Ask HN: What are some examples of successful companies rejected by YC?
I applied to YC six times over the last 2.5 years with the same idea - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;yathletics.com" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;yathletics.com</a> . Got rejected every time but interviewed with them twice. The first time I applied was before I launched our first product and had $0 in revenue. The last time I applied, our yearly revenue was almost $1M, and we&#x27;re still just getting started.<p>The reason for rejection was same at both times - I didn&#x27;t have a clear strategy of how to grow my company into a big business. (For those that don&#x27;t know, YC gives you a pretty clear explanation of why they rejected you and what they want you to do better.)<p>We make products that our users absolutely love and have seen phenomenal growth, and YC understands that. But it seems like it&#x27;s very important to them that you are able to clearly articulate what your business will look like in ten years when it&#x27;s a billion dollar company.<p>I have no doubt that I will make my company into a billion dollar business. But I simply don&#x27;t know how I will take over the world yet. I strategize what needs to be done over the next 1 year and focus only on that. Sure, it might not be a trait for successful founders, but I firmly believe that staying focused on building great products is key to my business. The vision for how I will turn this into a billion dollar company will gradually come with time.