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I was laughed off of HN when I suggested a few years ago that YC was en route to becoming the world's first true 21st century university. Applying pg's questio

I was laughed off of HN when I suggested a few years ago that YC was en route to becoming the world's first true 21st century university. Applying pg's question of "What Microsoft Is this the Altair Basic of" to YC itself, the answer to me has always been a modern university. From the regular cohorts, to nascent investment in basic research, to residential component, to doing things that make a big impact on the world, to being highly profitable (yes, elite higher ed. is a fantastic business), always seemed to me that all the ingredients were there. This is yet another small step in that direction.

elmar 10y ago
I share your view, I think that halfway on the journey PG realized this potential and even talks about YC as a new type of educational organization on some of is texts. It's great to be here at this point in time and see it unfold.
yurisagalov 10y ago
You would be happy to know that in fact I believe PG has said as much himself :) https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/sam-altman-taking-over-as-president-of-y-combinator-replacing-paul-graham-at-the-helm/ https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/sam-altman-taking-over-as-...
- saycheese 10y ago
  Related text from the above link: >> At a fundamental level, though, Graham says that the YC experience for startups will largely be unchanged. “A big misconception is that Y Combinator is Paul Graham,” he said. This change, he says, should finally dispel that public perception and build a bigger future for YC modeled in part after organizations that have stood the test of time. >> “It’s rare for a company to last 100 years, but for a university it’s nothing. The reason for the difference, I think, is that product companies always have in their DNA some assumption about the kind of thing they’re building, and about their market, and that eventually ends up becoming false. But a university is just a nexus of people...people go there because of the people that are there,” he said. “Now, I’m not claiming that Y Combinator is going to last for centuries. But it could.”
- ChicagoBoy11 10y ago
  Ha - I had no idea!
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elmar 10y ago

I share your view, I think that halfway on the journey PG realized this potential and even talks about YC as a new type of educational organization on some of is texts. It's great to be here at this point in time and see it unfold.

yurisagalov 10y ago

You would be happy to know that in fact I believe PG has said as much himself :) https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/sam-altman-taking-over-as-president-of-y-combinator-replacing-paul-graham-at-the-helm/ https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/sam-altman-taking-over-as-...

saycheese 10y ago
Related text from the above link: >> At a fundamental level, though, Graham says that the YC experience for startups will largely be unchanged. “A big misconception is that Y Combinator is Paul Graham,” he said. This change, he says, should finally dispel that public perception and build a bigger future for YC modeled in part after organizations that have stood the test of time. >> “It’s rare for a company to last 100 years, but for a university it’s nothing. The reason for the difference, I think, is that product companies always have in their DNA some assumption about the kind of thing they’re building, and about their market, and that eventually ends up becoming false. But a university is just a nexus of people...people go there because of the people that are there,” he said. “Now, I’m not claiming that Y Combinator is going to last for centuries. But it could.”
ChicagoBoy11 10y ago
Ha - I had no idea!

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