Ask HN: Can there be a YC batch in Europe?

2 points by georgestrakhov 8 days ago | 3 comments

I really want to try YC, but no way I'm spending 3 months in SF (due to my family being here in Amsterdam, business being here and my future - both culturally and lifestyle-wise being firmly in Europe).

I'm sure I am not alone in not being interested in relocating (even temporarily) to the US, at least under current conditions.

So... are there enough of us EU founders with global ambitions and SF-level work ethic to actually make the mountain come to us instead? What would it take for us to convince YC to make even one experimental but proper batch happen in Europe? (with global mentors and global VCs for a demo day etc.)

If there is enough interest - let's petition YC folks to make it happen, shall we?

tfwnopmt 8 days ago |

If you can't spend 3 months in SF, you probably can't spend 3 months in any other european city/country.

Is there a city with anywhere near the critical mass of SF?

If that happened to be on the other side of the EU, would you be OK living a 3-hour flight away from Amsterdam, rather than a 13 hour flight away?

Is commuting back and forth 3-hours compatible with the "SF-level work ethic", as you call it?

dotcoma 8 days ago | |

Amsterdam to London is little more than 1 hour by plane.

And nobody checks your social media handles when you land.

re-thc 8 days ago |

> due to my family being here in Amsterdam, business being here and my future

Isn't the point of YC (if you make it) that the startup and YC = your future?

What do you actually want? Can't have everything.