In 2007, Disqus received funding from Y Combinator, a prestigious seed-stage startup funding firm. Y Combinator is unique in that they not only provide seed money, but they offer an entire 3-month experience that includes technical, business, and legal advice, as well as introductions to key investors and tech executives.

In Part 2 of this interview, Daniel Ha discusses his experience with YC, sharing his thoughts on what YC looks for in potential candidates, and his secrets for what it takes to get accepted into the program. He covers some of the program highlights, like Demo Day, where YC companies have the opportunity to give presentations in front of investors. He also shares some of the best advice he learned from the program, and emphasizes the incredible value of being a part of the YC alumni community.

Check out a great post by Guy Kawasaki featuring this past summer’s Demo Day at Y Combinator; the post includes lots of pictures that give a feel for the YC culture and showcase the types of companies that they fund.

In addition to covering Y Combinator, Daniel discusses his day-to-day experience as a CEO, and offers his advice on what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. He also shares about his background, and his long-time friendship with Disqus Co-Founder Jason Yan, which led them to launch the company together while in college.

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