A couple of days ago, I stumbled across something really cool that Dave Winer shared on Twitter. It was a link to the application Drew Houston, Dropbox’s founder, submitted to Y Combinator for their Summer 2007 cycle. I clicked it out of curiosity and found it super interesting and thought-provoking. Here’s the answer from the app to the question: “What is your company going to make?”

“Dropbox synchronizes files across your/your team’s computers. It’s much better than uploading or email, because it’s automatic, integrated into Windows, and fits into the way you already work. There’s also a web interface, and the files are securely backed up to Amazon S3. Dropbox is kind of like taking the best elements of subversion, trac and rsync and making them ‘just work’ for the average individual or team. Hackers have access to these tools, but normal people don’t…”

Right when I read this, it hit me how clearly Drew saw his product’s future before anyone else even had a clue. He knew exactly what Dropbox was and how it’d solve the problem he was targeting. Looking at Dropbox’s success today, it’s obvious he nailed his plan. That’s a winning combo right there. I’d be shocked if a product flopped when its founder had this kind of vision. I bet Paul Graham was grinning ear to ear when he saw this one. Here’s what ran through his head when he reviewed Dropbox’s Y Combinator app that summer…

125 points by pg 452 days ago | link

What happens when I read this:

File syncing. Superset of backups, which people will pay for. Good. Single founder. Bad. But at least he’s looking for more people. Went to MIT, 1600 SAT. Probably fairly smart. Wrote a poker bot. Now I’m starting to get interested; has the right attitude. Description of the software sounds plausible but generic. Maybe it’s good, but who can tell. But little sister uses it; that’s impressive. Scroll down to what he understands that competitors don’t get. Wow: very concise and unequivocal. I’m now basically sold. Scroll through the rest. No red flags. Did not make the usual joke single founders make when asked how long the founders have known one another. Good answer to what might go wrong. A-. (Would be an A with a cofounder.)

Pretty fascinating stuff. PG definitely knows a killer idea, and a sharp mind, when he sees one.
The application’s packed with great questions like “What do you understand about your business that other companies in it just don’t get?” and killer answers from Drew. It’s a must-read if you’re into startups, and I’d totally recommend answering these questions yourself for any project you’re working on.
Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t tried Dropbox yet, trust me, you’re missing out big time.
~SeeJay