[eduardordm]

I feel the same way as you. I won't be applying anymore: this was the first time I applied to an incubator. I built a startup before (that succeeded) and we got a lot of rejections, but thing is they were pretty much immediate. They didn't feel so bad, no anticipation was built, there were similar opportunities to try.

YC is unique, it gets emotional and the anticipation drains the very energy you need to succeed.

Good luck,

[accountoftheday]

The emotional drain came as a bit of a surprise to me, and I am not even invested much in this forum or the idea of making a career via YC. I too have built and exited startups previously (without the warm embrace of an incubator) and some rejections from dealing with investors do happen due to the nature of the game but I cannot remember it ever having felt hostile in the way submitting to a black hole and receiving an automated form letter response from it does.

[hashmij]

Thanks for your comment. Yeah, it really really sucked the wind out of me. It's not going to stop us from going forth, but it is a momentary pause to catch our breath and get back up from the floor.

[ohashi]

You get used to it. The first time I can empathize. I've been rejected 3 times now, I hardly noticed this time and forgot about it until I saw something on HN. You stop pinning any sort of hope on getting accepted and keep building/marketing/promoting/improving and life goes on :)