He scraped Paul Graham's essays, got an angry email from PG himself, then got rejected by YC 12 times. Still got in at 13th Attempt (opens in new tab)

YCInsightsYC Insightsunofficial storiesanswersblogfree resourcessign inOpen Database → / rejection-database #101 · Core Databases # Rejection Database YC alumni who got rejected, pivoted, or nearly died — and built generational outcomes. Verified YC alumni only — Airbnb (W09), Stripe (S10), Reddit (S05), Dropbox (S07), Coinbase (S12), DoorDash (S13), and more. Who rejected them, the snapshot then, today's valuation, every source linked. Open the database →Free · No email required ## ...