Nemo Shakhverdiev

Rejected by Y Combinator for the 4th time.
Got the email today. VertoX wasn't selected for an interview this time.
Am I stopping? Not a chance.
YC themselves state that over 50% of the startups they accept are repeat applicants. It s not about failing; it s about making progress between the batches.
Right now, we are in the pre-launch phase, sharpening our core Deep Tech infrastructure for real-time live communication. We focus on what matters most: building the product, scaling the core tech, and preparing our live demo.
When the product and demo are fully ready, the numbers and traction will speak for themselves. We will apply again, and the next application will be on a completely different level.
The journey continues. Back to building.

When I started building a startup, I thought the hardest part would be building the product.

I was wrong.

Building is difficult.

But finding the right people, getting users, talking to customers, raising money, making decisions with limited information, and staying motivated for years is much harder than I expected.

Recently, I was in a meeting with around 80 people from different countries.

Only a few were actively speaking.

The rest mostly listened.

It reminded me how big the language barrier still is in global business.