YC applications and interviews can be stressful. The acceptance rate is really low- about 1.5% — 2%. I think that some founders can get this perception that if they can just get into YC, they've made it, and if they don't, their startup isn't great. Neither of those things are even remotely true.

YC's Standard Deal We have a standard deal for every company that is accepted to Y Combinator. We invest $500,000, and our investment gives YC 7% of your company plus an incremental equity amount that will be fixed when you raise money from other investors.

Hacker News (HN) is a social news website focusing on computer science and entrepreneurship. It is run by the investment fund and startup incubator Y Combinator. In general, content that can be submitted is defined as "anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity."