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Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

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Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#12

From what I've heard from people in recent batches, this is probably a good thing for those that make it in. Pretty little personalized attention when there are 400 startups in a batch...

It's actually a bad thing. Just like cryto all the YC companies sell to each other. As per their 2022 stats, more than 50% of sales for all YC startups are other YC companies. So this is just a game of hot potato until they get a fat valuation, raise a zillion dollar series and then list it on the stock market for the retail traders to hold their bags. Less YC startups= less customers for other YC startups.

You don't have to be here, if you think it's all nonsense.

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#13

From what I've heard from people in recent batches, this is probably a good thing for those that make it in. Pretty little personalized attention when there are 400 startups in a batch...

It's actually a bad thing. Just like cryto all the YC companies sell to each other. As per their 2022 stats, more than 50% of sales for all YC startups are other YC companies. So this is just a game of hot potato until they get a fat valuation, raise a zillion dollar series and then list it on the stock market for the retail traders to hold their bags. Less YC startups= less customers for other YC startups.

Bad this quarter. Good over next 5

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#14

From what I've heard from people in recent batches, this is probably a good thing for those that make it in. Pretty little personalized attention when there are 400 startups in a batch...

It's actually a bad thing. Just like cryto all the YC companies sell to each other. As per their 2022 stats, more than 50% of sales for all YC startups are other YC companies. So this is just a game of hot potato until they get a fat valuation, raise a zillion dollar series and then list it on the stock market for the retail traders to hold their bags. Less YC startups= less customers for other YC startups.

This is something that people fail to understand about economics. The vast majority of wealth is created by the faster movement of money - Japan went into a period of stagflation because savings rates rose in order to cover loan defaults. A yen doing the 5 rounds in a family of three could buy 15 yen worth of goods.

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#15

From what I've heard from people in recent batches, this is probably a good thing for those that make it in. Pretty little personalized attention when there are 400 startups in a batch...

It's actually a bad thing. Just like cryto all the YC companies sell to each other. As per their 2022 stats, more than 50% of sales for all YC startups are other YC companies. So this is just a game of hot potato until they get a fat valuation, raise a zillion dollar series and then list it on the stock market for the retail traders to hold their bags. Less YC startups= less customers for other YC startups.

As someone who was on the outside looking in on this until pretty recently, but also has spent much of the last 10 years working with a variety of different YC companies, this is pretty overblown. Moreover: there are so many YC companies at this point, the rate of increase is not an especially interesting marketing fact. For what you're saying to be true, the norm would have to be selling to your batchmates, which... I mean, batchmates are friendly with each other, but they're not like, your core market, even if you're selling pickaxes and shovels.

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#16

From what I've heard from people in recent batches, this is probably a good thing for those that make it in. Pretty little personalized attention when there are 400 startups in a batch...

In addition there have been competing products launching within same batch

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's actually a bad thing. Just like cryto all the YC companies sell to each other. As per their 2022 stats, more than 50% of sales for all YC startups are other YC companies. So this is just a game of hot potato until they get a fat valuation, raise a zillion dollar series and then list it on the stock market for the retail traders to hold their bags. Less YC startups= less customers for other YC startups.

You don't have to be here, if you think it's all nonsense.

Despite the connection, HN != YCombinator

Re: Y Combinator narrows current cohort size by 40%, citing downturn and funding

#20
The emphasis on "downturn" concerns me. Aren't reputed firms like YC supposed to look at a 10+ year horizon?

If this is true, it indicates that earlier investments were based on the market than the fundamentals of the founding team, market, and product.

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