[foodislove]

Even if you know your startup isn't the right fit or you and team are not the YC type, the application is hugely valuable because it makes you think long and hard about what you are doing.

We never got into YC, but we did end up with another accelerator. The one question that YC asks, that sets it apart is the question at the end: "what do you know about your industry or business that other people don't".

It's a simple question with a lot of meaning. I found that working out a concise answer to that question turned out to be key to our fundraising and product positioning. If you don't have a ready answer to that question, most investors and accelerators will just make their own assumptions about what you do. Our industry is NOT the most exciting and hot trend so having that answer left and center turned out to be key to presenting what we do in a good light.

Do the application even if you know you won't get in.