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The assumption is that Y Combinator thinks that they're providing value through resources like mentorship, and that if they spread those resources too thin, the
by smeyer 11y ago
The assumption is that Y Combinator thinks that they're providing value through resources like mentorship, and that if they spread those resources too thin, they'll reduce the odds of producing a billion dollar company (or some similar metric). Sure, that limit may be flexible a bit one way or the other way based on the quality of the applicants, but it's neither necessarily irrational nor artificial prestige-bumping quota to limit to a couple of dozen teams rather than taking hundreds who they think are good.
- bmir-alum-007 11y agoScaling to something ridiculous like 100x is obviously a nonstarter, but that'll never happen. 1-2 extra companies isn't spreading too thin. In fact, one of Sama's purported goals is to scale up YC several times while retaining it's core culture. It's hardish to do because investing/mentorship is analogous to a lifestyle business model, but it's not impossible. It won't be exactly the same, but it won't suck.
- smeyer 11y agoYeah, I agree, they obviously might end up adding a couple of extra companies depending on who applies. Especially for a first pass at something, though, it makes sense to aim smaller and grow from there. Ultimately, it's hard to know what the optimal cutoff is, but I think we're on the same page here.