4 ms·
Hmm, this 74% stat is directly conflating funding and profit; it's a conflation that doesn't seem to make sense to me, as I really only care about the profit si
by carbocation 16y ago
Hmm, this 74% stat is directly conflating funding and profit; it's a conflation that doesn't seem to make sense to me, as I really only care about the profit side of the equation. If you suppose that profit increases monotonically, this title hints at tremendous success - but I don't make that assumption. I'd be more interested to know the medium-to-long-term success - say, profitability at 12 months, or 24.
- pg 16y agoThe similarity between the two is clear when you're running an early stage startup: being either funded or profitable means you are not imminently going to run out of money. And since that is usually the main thing you're worried about in a startup 6 months old, that is an important similarity.
- carbocation 16y agoAha - I think I follow. I thought the 74% was an attempt to inform us about the startups. In a sense, it's not - it's telling us more about YC and its ability to pick and/or guide startups such that they don't quickly crash and burn. Thank you; that makes more sense, now.
- alain94040 16y agoIt means that 74% of the graduating class is alive and healthy, at least for a while. Don't try to read more than that into it.
- carbocation 16y agoNo, that simply brings me back to wanting to see longer-term outcomes. However, so far, so good!
- byrneseyeview 16y agoIt's relevant because these are the companies for which YC provided enough runway to get to the next step.