Over the long run, this eats itself. It would result in a lot of low-quality but highly connected 'juiced' companies getting too much of a boost from brand but

Over the long run, this eats itself. It would result in a lot of low-quality but highly connected 'juiced' companies getting too much of a boost from brand but then flopping by failing to actually deliver on their hype. In the end this dilutes the brand, and is self-correcting. YC would end up with a reputation as an over-hyped old boy network past its prime, etc. Sure you can ride into town on a big white horse but if you can't handle your gun... :) It can take a while to manifest. Like a bank account, large pools of goodwill and brand equity take a long time to drain. But eventually the draining happens. The tech industry is so fast that 'a while' might be 'a few years.'