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Y Combinator Early Access Network

events.ycombinator.com

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Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#31

Post by avaer »

pj_mukh wrote: post #20
avaer wrote: post #7

It's been obvious for years that AI will bifurcate society even more between the haves and have nots, contrary to "democratizing AI" niceties espoused by big AI CEOs. It was less obvious that access will be further gated by an Old Boy Network. I guess the frontier model whitelists of yestermonth were a portent.

YCombinator has its biases, but I don't know of many other investment firms that have a university style, "application" process. It's almost always, warm-intros you need. This Early access network is just an intro system once you get through the Application process (like Universities having a job fair).

TBF YC has always said the value is in the network.

What's interesting (alarming?) is them formalizing exclusion of access to technology via the network. It's explicitly ossifying an access control system over what used to be handshakes.

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#32

Post by pj_mukh »

ModernMech wrote: post #22
pj_mukh wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

YCombinator has its biases, but I don't know of many other investment firms that have a university style, "application" process. It's almost always, warm-intros you need. This Early access network is just an intro system once you get through the Application process (like Universities having a job fair).

Pretty much every incubator I've seen has an open application process.

I mean now..yes. Not in 2008.

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#33

Post by pj_mukh »

avaer wrote: post #31
pj_mukh wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

YCombinator has its biases, but I don't know of many other investment firms that have a university style, "application" process. It's almost always, warm-intros you need. This Early access network is just an intro system once you get through the Application process (like Universities having a job fair).

TBF YC has always said the value is in the network. What's interesting (alarming?) is them formalizing exclusion of access to technology via the network. It's explicitly ossifying an access control system over what used to be handshakes.

I don’t understand, Ycombinator company list is public information list, go buy from any one of them anytime?

AFAICT, this is mostly a way for YC companies to get warm intros into potential customers. Almost exactly like a job fair at a university but for software contracts instead of jobs.

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#34

Post by avaer »

pj_mukh wrote: post #33
avaer wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TBF YC has always said the value is in the network. What's interesting (alarming?) is them formalizing exclusion of access to technology via the network. It's explicitly ossifying an access control system over what used to be handshakes.

I don’t understand, Ycombinator company list is public information list, go buy from any one of them anytime? AFAICT, this is mostly a way for YC companies to get warm intros into potential customers. Almost exactly like a job fair at a university but for software contracts instead of jobs.

> Ycombinator company list is public information list, go buy from any one of them anytime

Unless this prototype model works out financially for the companies, and every AI company starts telling you to go through an (inevitably AI vetted) application process to get access.

Decades ago, getting a Google account to use GMail wasn't seen as a problem because you could run your own mail server. Try getting your own mail server to deliver mail today.

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#36

Post by dgellow »

ViktorRay wrote: post #2

Wonder if people going to this will have the same infamous sense of arrogance and entitlement that is common to Y combinator folks? Source: https://x.com/mcuban/status/692595120969875456

This type of group is exactly what develop that feeling of entitlement and arrogance. It would be very surprising if that’s not the case.

That being said, all the ex YC people I interacted with in person have been awesome. But there is definitely a YC entitled group

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#37

Post by jzelinskie »

This is interesting, but I think most enterprise AI buyers probably aren't looking to buy from the current batch; they're just too volatile at that stage. This does seem like an opportunity for cross-pollination where early start-ups get to test their product signals and enterprises get to see what's on the cutting edge.

This seems more beneficial to the founders because the the enterprises could instead just choose to do some research on the start-ups. It's not like the start-ups are keeping their knowledge quiet because for them to survive they need to convince everybody what their doing is meaningful.

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#38

Post by mcmcmc »

ModernMech wrote: post #24
avaer wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

YC isn't taxing you, or elected to serve your interest, or beholden to public recordkeeping law or sworn to a national constitution with explicit rules against self-enrichment. YC can do whatever they want, you can not play their game if you choose. It's not really comparable.

> YC isn't taxing you It's a different kind of tax. The VC model is to get you addicted to a service and then jack up prices as soon as they've squeezed out other competition. You can't opt out of that game when AirBnBs take over your town.

The problem is predatory pricing is hard to prove, and the FTC is impotent or complicit, depending on the administration

Re: Y Combinator Early Access Network

#40

Post by popalchemist »

pj_mukh wrote: post #20
avaer wrote: post #7

It's been obvious for years that AI will bifurcate society even more between the haves and have nots, contrary to "democratizing AI" niceties espoused by big AI CEOs. It was less obvious that access will be further gated by an Old Boy Network. I guess the frontier model whitelists of yestermonth were a portent.

YCombinator has its biases, but I don't know of many other investment firms that have a university style, "application" process. It's almost always, warm-intros you need. This Early access network is just an intro system once you get through the Application process (like Universities having a job fair).

Do not mistake any VC's eagerness to find fresh meat for the grinder for a philanthropic or otherwise virtuous motive. VC exists for one purpose only. Extract value from others.
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