Can I Build a Tech Company as a Solo Founder? | My Y Combinator Journey + Next Steps
If you’d like to watch a video version of this article, you can do so by visiting this link — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bRZh5qneJI
Do you think it’s possible to build a tech company from 0, particularly as a solo founder?
I know, it’s practically impossible to build one and yet, since I was small, for some reason I always dreamt of creating one. As a result, I ventured into launching various startups over the years (and even though I kept failing, each one would teach me a thing or two about technology and how to run a business in general).
Before I go any further, allow me to actually introduce myself first. My name is Andriyas. I’m 27, and as of today, I reflect on my journey of how I ended up where I’m currently in my life.
I’m originally from a Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk in Russia.
I moved to Toronto, Canada back when I was 16 completely by myself to pursue higher education and get a chance to have a better life. This journey proved to be an invaluable life lesson, teaching me more than any comfort of childhood ever could.
Ever since I was young though, I’ve been fascinated by various mechanics behind things. I dabbled in coding a bit and became especially intrigued by how websites worked. I would spend a ton of time learning HTML, then WordPress and then Webflow. This interest eventually spurred the creation of several startups of mine, including Podfio (unfortunately, I didn’t take any screenshots of the actual website).
Envisioned as a Netflix for podcasts, Podfio aimed to simplify the podcast-listening experience back in 2017. At a time when Spotify Podcasts hadn’t yet dominated the market, I saw a small window of opportunity.
I crafted Podfio’s MVP using WordPress and a billion of plugins. As users gradually joined the platform, I also seized the moment to apply to Y Combinator (a prestigious startup accelerator you might have heard about). To my surprise, I received an invitation for an interview from Michael Seibel, who is the founder of Twitch, and then President of YC.
Somehow, I was able to secure an American visa in under a month — a process that typically takes a year today. I got my plane tickets and flew from Toronto to LA first and had a few hours of layover there because it was raining cats and dogs in SF. But alas, finally, we were cleared to go.
Despite a rocky arrival in San Francisco, which was marked by a locked door to my Airbnb at 3AM and almost a full night spent in my rental Kia Soul, I made it to my interview at YC’s headquarters in Mountain View. My interview was slated for 12PM and I was nervously awaiting for my turn in their empty hall.
After about 30 minutes, I was invited to the interview room and I was met with 4 people who were incredibly warm and personable. The person who asked me all of the questions though was Geoff Ralston, creator of Yahoo! Mail and the future President of YC.
Unfortunately, despite my efforts to answer every single question as best as I could, I left the room feeling that I not only didn’t pass my interview but perhaps I was also a bit too young to actually build a startup and lead the team on my own (I was 21 back then).
As I awaited YC’s decision (I could either get a phone call which means that YC would like to fund me or an email saying that YC would like to pass on this opportunity), I wandered the streets of downtown San Francisco and then drove to see the Golden Gate Bridge. And over there I had a curious encounter with SF’s police.
While I was fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing the iconic bridge as well as seeing Alcatraz in-person (even from a distance), I was approached by one of the police officers asking me if I was OK. I had a 10-minute conversation with the officer and explained to him why I was in SF and convinced him that I was not thinking of jumping off the Golden Gate…
A few hours later I was met with the anticipated email from YC which was obviously, a rejection.
Returning to Toronto, I continued working on Podfio for a while, but the emergence of Spotify Podcasts signalled to me that competing against such a giant would be tough, so I decided to close Podfio down.
Fast forward to the summer of 2023, I work for a Canadian health-tech startup, fortunate enough to work remotely on a full-time basis. Amidst a particularly crazy day, I finished all of my reports (I work in Performance Marketing), closed my work laptop and retreated to my sofa for a break.
As I scrolled through Reddit, TikTok and Instagram on my phone — their tailored feeds, which is naturally a reflection of my interests, sparked an idea.
You see, besides me tinkering with websites in my free time, I also love aviation. And if you were to open my social media apps, you would see planes everywhere. It was during this moment of relaxation and reflection that I thought: could there be a way to unify this content that revolved around the same topic into a single feed, eliminating the need to hop from one app to another?
So, here we are. Humawave MVP has been built and now is the time to hear from other people if they would see any value in something like this. Because after all, one thing from YC really stuck in my mind — I need to build something that people want.
If you would like to play with the MVP yourself, feel free to visit Humawave at https://www.humawave.com/
Until next time!
