Rejected by YC 8 times, Rork founder raises $18M and hits #1 AI app builder
dunkhippo33 · x · 2026-11-11
Rork founder Daniel Dhawan recounts failing 4+ startups, burning out with $15K credit card debt, 8 YC rejections and 200+ investor rejections before his breakout year: a strong engineering cofounder, an O-1 visa in SF, a16z speedrun acceptance, an $18M raise, and scaling Rork to the world's #1 AI mobile app builder. He notes billion-dollar companies take 10 years on average — he's on year 8.
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