Ask HN: What's Your “Secret Sauce”?

[sabbakeynejad]

What's your "secret sauce" always confuses me. Can anyone shine a light on this to help me understand it better?

Context: YC interview next week for my startup http://veed.io this is 100% going to be asked and I have no idea how to go about it...

Thanks Sabba

[mindcrime]

It's basically asking "What is the one thing (or "main thing") you do differently than the other companies you'll be competing with?" It's a metaphor for how sandwich/burger shops will tout their "secret sauce" that makes their sandwiches/burgers the "best in town". It's like the formula for Coca-Cola, or KFC's "secret blend of seven herbs and spices", but in technological terms or business terms.

In those terms it might be a new algorithm you invented (like "the compression algorithm" from Season 1 of Silicon Valley) or something unique about your business model. It could even be a business relationship, like an exclusive deal with a supplier of some exotic material or component or something.

[ColinWright]

A "secret sauce" is a thing that makes your product better, that no one else knows, and that they would likely have difficulty in reproducing in a timely fashion.

But you could have found that just by searching on the web, so now I'm wondering if I've misunderstood your question.

[sabbakeynejad]

Your right, I did find that searching the web. We make a simple online video editing platform called veed.io. I not sure I know what ingredients are in our Sauce yet... Whats Adobe's Secret Sauce?

[cleansewater]

Looks like your product's secret sauce is 'EASY to edit'. Hope to see you at YC S19. We will have an interview too.