Most blogs that describe tips and best practices when applying to YC have one advice in common - "Get customers", "Prove that someone needs your product", "Get signups, email addresses" etc. And while that is a very valid and important point, for some of us though its harder than that. Even if one has a prototype, the companies they work for have strict policies that prevent doing business on the side, let alone the fact that the H1 visa also explicitly prevents you from having any other source of income or starting a corp. The only options would be to go all in and go to their home country to develop the product further, at which point they've abandoned everything they've worked hard for all this while, - or - wait for a green card, which is elusive if you are from one of the populous Asian countries.
What other options does one have? Have any H1s successfully made it to YC? Could they describe their experience?Also, please correct me if I'm wrong here, but despite assurances from YC folk and Sam himself that you can and should apply even if you have just an idea or prototype, blog after blog suggest you need to be much further than that to get through the tough competition.