Many users defend Y Combinator against longstanding criticisms of valuations and batch sizes by citing its consistent success metrics, resilience, and ecosystem benefits over time.
Based on 30 visible X reactions from 64 accounts.
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YC is a Silicon Valley treasure, and has enabled a powerful and wonderful ecosystem around it (of which even I am a beneficiary). For sure, some of the disses aimed at it are due to competitive envy and pricing power. The one thing I do wonder is how long YC can stick to the relatively low valuation of incoming startups. I think it's $125K for 7% (plus $375K optionally on an uncapped SAFE with MFN), so $1.8 MM incoming (and an average of $20 MM outgoing after Demo Day just 3 months later). With everything that has inflated from 2011 to 2026, that is some amazing pricing inelasticity YC has been able to maintain. Maybe rightly so, but I would love to see this be somewhat more founder-friendly going forward.
@paulg YC went from 8 companies in 2005 to 250+ per cohort today. Critics said quality would drop. Instead, the combined valuation of YC companies hit $600B+. The acceptance rate is now ~4% — lower than Harvard's. The batch got bigger. The filter got tighter.
@jaltma I share my real-time TRADE alert (entry & exit points) on WhatsApp, free to join ✅ ➡️Copy the keyword and send "study" on WhatsApp: +17578639006 🎥 - DAILY LIVE TRADING 📖 - TRADE RECAPS ☢️ - PERSONAL STRATEGY
@paulg History proves the doubters mistaken again
YC still produces great companies at such a high rate that I think it has to somehow be causal. They obviously have great pattern matching and pick well too, but I think the only way to have such a high hit rate from such early stage companies must be that it changes the odds. https://twitter.com/paulg/status/2076704076411347356
YC is a Silicon Valley treasure, and has enabled a powerful and wonderful ecosystem around it (of which even I am a beneficiary). For sure, some of the disses aimed at it are due to competitive envy and pricing power. The one thing I do wonder is how long YC can stick to the relatively low valuation of incoming startups. I think it's $125K for 7% (plus $375K optionally on an uncapped SAFE with MFN), so $1.8 MM incoming (and an average of $20 MM outgoing after Demo Day just 3 months later). With everything that has inflated from 2011 to 2026, that is some amazing pricing inelasticity YC has been able to maintain. Maybe rightly so, but I would love to see this be somewhat more founder-friendly going forward.
@paulg YC went from 8 companies in 2005 to 250+ per cohort today. Critics said quality would drop. Instead, the combined valuation of YC companies hit $600B+. The acceptance rate is now ~4% — lower than Harvard's. The batch got bigger. The filter got tighter.
@jaltma I share my real-time TRADE alert (entry & exit points) on WhatsApp, free to join ✅ ➡️Copy the keyword and send "study" on WhatsApp: +17578639006 🎥 - DAILY LIVE TRADING 📖 - TRADE RECAPS ☢️ - PERSONAL STRATEGY
YC still produces great companies at such a high rate that I think it has to somehow be causal. They obviously have great pattern matching and pick well too, but I think the only way to have such a high hit rate from such early stage companies must be that it changes the odds. https://twitter.com/paulg/status/2076704076411347356
One of the weird constants about YC is that the disses are always the same. Investors always claim valuations have become impossibly high. Competitors always claim we've jumped the shark because the batch sizes are now too big. Historically both have always been mistaken.
@jaltma It's a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point. YC brand is good enough that it helps you attract talent and resources, which then helps you succeed
Many users defend Y Combinator against longstanding criticisms of valuations and batch sizes by citing its consistent success metrics, resilience, and ecosystem benefits over time.
Based on 30 visible X reactions from 64 accounts.
Ask a question below.
Published answers will appear here.
One of the weird constants about YC is that the disses are always the same. Investors always claim valuations have become impossibly high. Competitors always claim we've jumped the shark because the batch sizes are now too big. Historically both have always been mistaken.