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I never said it was charity, I simply said that in my opinion the terms are better for the founders. I don't think there's a single YC founder that would disagr

I never said it was charity, I simply said that in my opinion the terms are better for the founders. I don't think there's a single YC founder that would disagree with me. And I'm sure there isn't a single successful YC founder that would disagree with me (which is the theoretical point where the equity would come back to bite you). If your company is already doing amazing or you're already some sort of super hot shot, then of course its not a good deal. Jeff Bezos does not need to go through the YC program. But I don't see a bunch of Balmers and Bezos' complaining about the YC terms, I see a bunch of people that need precisely what YC provides.

pvg 17y ago
I simply said that in my opinion the terms are better for the founders Right, I simply said that opinion is absurd and flies in the face of the very idea of running a business like YC. And it is a business, right, we agree on that? And I'm sure there isn't a single successful YC founder that would disagree Why on earth would a successful YC founder disagree? They've been successful. This is the definition of selection bias.
- tolmasky 17y ago
  Why on earth would a successful YC founder disagree? They've been successful. This is the definition of selection bias. Wow. I can't believe I have to explain this. As I already explained in my previous post, this is simply the only truly useful metric, not selection bias. People care about equity after they succeed, not when they fail. No one sits around crying that they wished they had a larger percentage of nothing. In fact, you know what, I bet pg would be willing to make an agreement with you that after you officially close your company he'll gladly give you that 5-10% back, that way you'll be happy either way. Go and ask any YC founder who is currently successful, whether its chugging along fine or had any form of exit, I don't think you'll find any of them worrying about those percentage points. The ones who've failed clearly don't care and certainly don't ridiculously blame their failure on YC taking too much of their company. Better yet, they're making use of those same connections and opportunities on the next startup they're working on, and for free this time.
  - pvg 17y ago
    Wow. I can't believe I have to explain this. You do, because it's silly. By the same token go and ask any founder who did not take YC funding and was successful. People care about equity well before they succeed. Talk to any investor. Go and ask any YC founder who is currently successful Explain to me, again, how this is not selection bias?

pvg 17y ago

I simply said that in my opinion the terms are better for the founders Right, I simply said that opinion is absurd and flies in the face of the very idea of running a business like YC. And it is a business, right, we agree on that? And I'm sure there isn't a single successful YC founder that would disagree Why on earth would a successful YC founder disagree? They've been successful. This is the definition of selection bias.

tolmasky 17y ago
Why on earth would a successful YC founder disagree? They've been successful. This is the definition of selection bias. Wow. I can't believe I have to explain this. As I already explained in my previous post, this is simply the only truly useful metric, not selection bias. People care about equity after they succeed, not when they fail. No one sits around crying that they wished they had a larger percentage of nothing. In fact, you know what, I bet pg would be willing to make an agreement with you that after you officially close your company he'll gladly give you that 5-10% back, that way you'll be happy either way. Go and ask any YC founder who is currently successful, whether its chugging along fine or had any form of exit, I don't think you'll find any of them worrying about those percentage points. The ones who've failed clearly don't care and certainly don't ridiculously blame their failure on YC taking too much of their company. Better yet, they're making use of those same connections and opportunities on the next startup they're working on, and for free this time.
- pvg 17y ago
  Wow. I can't believe I have to explain this. You do, because it's silly. By the same token go and ask any founder who did not take YC funding and was successful. People care about equity well before they succeed. Talk to any investor. Go and ask any YC founder who is currently successful Explain to me, again, how this is not selection bias?