Anti-Application video for YC120

That’s so stupid (this video). What’s the point of this? A cringeworthy individual who thinks he’s so right about how the questions of an application are so wrong. Really?

I really don't understand the backlash. It's a simple, 3-question application designed (presumably) to find ambitious people that, for whatever reason, don't have access to the YC network. It's not a treatise on why "family isn't important" or "why you should throw away everything to chase the Silicon Valley dream".

If your response to these questions is to make an angry 4-minute video ranting about how these questions indicate a "lust for Mammon", perhaps consider if you are the intended audience.

I'm sorry, but I have zero association with Silicon Valley or Y Combinator and I find this video completely absurd.

I'd agree with you if it was someone like Goldman Sachs or HSBC that I wanted to get funding from. I wouldn't criticize them like this because I know it would fall into deaf ears. I think the reason we criticize YC is we believe the people at the top actually care about more than their own quarterly bonus.

I realize this is a touchy subject, but here goes:

I especially appreciate how there is no talk of innovation or ideas, which in my mind, is what YC stands for. Instead (interpreted as an outsider), a rant on unfamiliar, incumbent (sf?) issues/frustrations. Somewhat obvious that YC is looking for new blood.

I'm not trying to defend Bryan Cantrill. Far from it.

I think people in silicon valley often forget how privileged they are. The application question is basically asking

What have you personally done in your life? Why should we give you a chance? I think Bryan Cantrill suffers from a lack of perspective. Like if you ask Taylor Swift about how to be a successful artist and she says just follow your dreams and everything will fall into place, I imagine Bryan hasn't had to justify his personal contributions anywhere in a long time likely because they are just obvious and do easy to see. Now compare that to someone like me who has only worked on line of business applications. I try to be honest which in my mind sounds like I'm being humble but from the other side it just sounds like I'm unaccomplished and have poor listening/comprehension skills.

In any case, I think this thread needs to be less about Bryan Cantrill and more about YC.

Bryan Cantrill's Wikipedia page says he asked a kernel developer if he had ever kissed a girl as a one line reply to a technical discussion. My instinct whenever I hear accusations like those by Valerie is to say maybe there's a different perspective but I don't think there is one in this case. Regardless of all this (and his association with a company that stupidly offers lifetime hosting to paying members and later yanks it which is essentially fraud), I think the arguments he makes stand on their own. These aren't arguments I could make because I'm a nobody but I'm glad someone is making regardless of how flawed they are.