That would be me. :) The thing is I'm finding cold emails aren't generally well received, if they are even answered at all. We'd go to more networking events and the like but most are on the coast and plane tickets are expensive. We're building up a strong network here in Iowa. What I was referring too was Y Combinator specific people. So we do what we can with where we're at. Not that I'm complaining because im really not, all I'm saying is from our current position, it's difficult (but definitely not impossible) to build strong relationships with Y Combinator alums.
Keep trying. This post raises all sorts of questions from my end.
How many of these cold emails have you sent?
To what extent have you varied the copy in those emails?
Are you just asking for something, or are you offering something as well?
Have you gotten advice from other successful hustlers (concretely, talk to some seed stage founders for hustle ideation; abstractly, read How to Win Friends & Influence People at least once per year) on what you might want to put in the email?
What about non-email channels?
Have you gone through Twitter (This is how I've met multiple investors and advisors, totally cold, with no friendly introduction.)?
How about crawling toward them meticulously through LinkedIn?
How about networking via HN?
Have you tried hanging out on relevant IRC channels?
Have you contributed to their questions & answers on Quora?
I don't mean to be overly critical here. The OP is a great example of inbound marketing hustle, and I commend you guys for it. Two of the key ingredients in startup success are determination and resourcefulness. Clearly you're resourceful, now crank up the determination a notch. Right now it sounds a bit like you've found good excuses not to keep trying. If you can't land a Skype call with someone who might be able to help you get noticed by YC, what evidence do we have that you're going to land a Skype call with a key distribution partner in six months?
Keep trying. Keep swinging and striking out. You'll see patterns. You'll improve. Eventually, you'll start making contact.
If I were you, I'd be hoping that YC didn't take me up on the offer. The stakes are just too high. You need to work your way up the food chain.
You know what takes savvy and elbow grease? Creating a customer acquisition channel! There are just so many amazing technologies these days for finding people and getting their attention. You could pick a YC company and find a way to generate credible leads or affiliate customers. You could do this with a completely automated, partially automated, or manual solution (like a series of great blog posts). There are all these YC companies who are making new products that replace existing ones. Take a special look at the B2B products. They have limited ability to directly target more than the few most lucrative verticals, but you and your friends are probably intimately familiar with at least one industry that could benefit from a new technology.
Here is where the most critical attribute of a YC-worthy person come in: hustle. It's all out there waiting for you: pick a technology that can help an industry that you understand, and sell that technology to them. Increase their bottom line demonstrably. After you've done this, you'll probably find you're a lot less interested in getting into YC, but they'll be more interested in you.
I see people are giving you lots of grief but I commend you for trying something new to get the attention of YC. In terms of networking, are you sure you're not connected to any YC alum? I live in New Zealand but was able to get introduced by email to 4 via LinkedIn. One YC alum was a college buddy of a friend I made at a rock climbing gym 2 years ago in Virginia. It's a small world. All the YC alum I was introduced to were happy to chat. Get your LI updated with everyone you know and see what second and third connections you have with the keyword YC.
