Maybe a little, but I doubt it. Sounds like they've known this is a problem for awhile: someone decides to start a startup right after the deadline, hears about

Maybe a little, but I doubt it. Sounds like they've known this is a problem for awhile: someone decides to start a startup right after the deadline, hears about YC, wants to do it, but has to wait a long time (beginning of April- beginning of January is 9 months) to hit a cycle. But by moving the deadline earlier, they made the problem that much worse, which got them thinking about the problem, which lead them to decide on this approach.