There are few other good incubators around. It does not hurt to apply other places as well. However, continue to focus on your product development.
This is my first time applying at YC, but in past I have helped raised funds for other companies outside. Last year I started my company and tried to raise funds.
After a while, instead of raising funds or spending too much time in hoping to get on incubators or VCs' list I started to stay focus on the product development. So not raised any outside funds so far however my product 1.0, then 1.3 and now 1.5 is out in the market and getting real users' feedback and polishing the product.
The bottom line is don't lose attention and focus from your product and plan out for 6, 12 and 18 months out with plan A and B, in my case, also plan C.
I don't think this is realistic. Business, especially at a certain level, is intimately intertwined with politics.
Suffice to look that lobbyists outnumber Congress representatives in Washington (last time I checked it was 4 to 1, if my memory serves me well).
The reason is that a business must generate profits, and a business doesn't live "out there in the ether", it is a moral entity bound by laws. The word is laws. So its very existence, and the way it generates profits are regulated. There is a direct influence of laws on its profits, so the incentive for a business to influence the laws that influence its profits is one of the first things that will pop up in someone's head.
"Tax is X% by this law.. I wonder if we could change this.. Do I know someone who'd be able to influence ?".
And this, on a small scale. Imagine what it's like for big companies, and people from big companies who change their careers for a Government career. Is it safe to assume that they still hold affection (didn't want to say allegiance) to their old company ? It is safe to asume so, it is human after all.
We need not to see further than former employees of big bangs, pharmaceutical companies and oil companies who became part of the Government Administration to see that saying "mixing business and politcs is a bad mix" may be true, but it still happens. It's not like one can just wipe out memory from someone who's worked at a company for 20 years.
I agree, there is no such thing as 'safest OS' however it also depends on who are you trying to save from? Government? forget it. Viruses and malwares (non gov stuff) then MacOS is still better than others. This is a lengthy discussion though.
Get an offer letter from another company with fantastic salary, bonus, and stock options - Google is always hiring good solid engineers, and so is Apple and 300 other SV companies.
Once you have good offer letter then go to your CEO for a 'man-to-man' talk.
If he has any ounce of courage then he will match the offer or it will be your last day at work.
I liked original versions of Pirate of Silicon Valley, and original Office Space - nothing beats those two movies on Startups.
However, the theme (and reality) of entrepreneurs facing all sorts of challenges and storms, and still stand like a mountain to support their products/platforms/ideas reminds us how power a human being is! just amazing...
I use Apple Script to produce builds for Android, iOS, and Server war files. For server SCP works really well and simple - I have intentionally not added in the Apple Script to transmit server builds.
2011 release mbp 13 with replaced SSD and full 8gb, I run three virtual machines (xp, win7, and win8), android os, used to run VM for Blackberry - but no more, and Snow leopard with Xcode and ios simulators running all over. not a single sec delay and works awesome! light weight, extended screen, work and personal both goes together ;)
This is my first time applying at YC, but in past I have helped raised funds for other companies outside. Last year I started my company and tried to raise funds.
After a while, instead of raising funds or spending too much time in hoping to get on incubators or VCs' list I started to stay focus on the product development. So not raised any outside funds so far however my product 1.0, then 1.3 and now 1.5 is out in the market and getting real users' feedback and polishing the product.
The bottom line is don't lose attention and focus from your product and plan out for 6, 12 and 18 months out with plan A and B, in my case, also plan C.