If you really want to do these things, then whether or not you get into YC, or whether or not you find a co-founder will just be a minor distraction to your actual goals.<p>YC is great if the timing is right and if you can get into it. At the same time, if someone were to tell me, "go spend 6 months finding a co-founder and working on something together, and then we'll talk", I would nod politely, and then proceed to spend the next 6 months building my project. Those are 6 months that you could use to get off the ground, if you're really motivated. You could <i>launch</i> in 6 months if your project doesn't require a large initial outlay of resources. And if your project is awesome enough, then it will attract people interested in your project, and it will gain momentum.