A Thinking Ape YC Application
A Thinking Ape went through Y Combinator in the Winter 2008 batch as a B2B company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.
- YC batch
- Winter 2008
- Industry
- B2BMarketing
- Team size
- 75
- Status
- Acquired
- Launched
- 2012
Founders
Kenshi ArasakiFounder/CEO
Eric DiepFounder
What A Thinking Ape does
Proudly recognized as one of CANADA'S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS for 2018! Mission: We build communities. Surrounded by mountains and water in beautiful Vancouver, BC, we are smart people who like smart people. We create mobile games with a social core that engage players and provoke us with creative new problems. We value data, informal leadership and keeping it all balanced. When we set out to make games with massive online communities, we knew that we first had to create the ideal environment for building ambitious things: a place where brilliant and inspiring people come together to build games that make millions of players happy. We realized that we needed to find incredibly talented people and get out of their way. Since then we've paid careful attention to how we like to work together - these are some of our guiding principles: Ownership; Have Wonderful Arguments; The Best Ideas Win; Keep Growing. We are artists, designers, and engineers. We leverage our talent with small, independent teams. And we know that a happy builder is an efficient builder.
A Thinking Ape's YC application, reconstructed
Y Combinator application
A Thinking Ape, Winter 2008 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.
- Founders2
- Company7
- Progress7
- Idea4
- Equity3
- Curious2
- Batch Preference1
Company
A Thinking Ape
We build communities through massively multiplayer mobile games
We create massively multiplayer mobile games that bring players together in lasting communities. Our games center on social interactions and competition designed to keep players engaged and connected over time. We build the environments and tools that let people cooperate and compete, making the mobile experience more than just solo play.
We live in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and the company is based there with a mix of remote work.
Vancouver offers the talent and quality of life that lets us attract and keep smart, creative people. The balance of city and nature fits how we work best - focused but inspired.
21 more answers in the full application
Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the real A Thinking Ape YC application?
No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from A Thinking Ape's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like A Thinking Ape would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.
What YC batch was A Thinking Ape in?
A Thinking Ape was part of the Y Combinator Winter 2008 batch.
Who founded A Thinking Ape?
A Thinking Ape was founded by Kenshi Arasaki, Eric Diep.
What does A Thinking Ape do?
We build communities through massively multiplayer mobile games
How do I read the full reconstructed application?
Create a free Round Funded account. The full 26-answer version of A Thinking Ape's application, and every other YC batch, is in YC Insights.
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