To be honest I think a lot of the calculation goes around like this: - Here are the X Partners we have available as resources - Who do these X Partners Like a

To be honest I think a lot of the calculation goes around like this: - Here are the X Partners we have available as resources - Who do these X Partners Like and who can they Work With - How would this Team fit into our YC ecosystem, recognizing that a lot of the slots in some verticals are filled. It's a multidimensional optimization, they're not just going for rawr, they're going for "fit", too, and perhaps all of the qualities you list as reasons for your surprise at the rejection, are only part of the equation. It's the pragmatics of organizations. The system doesn't just choose the "best parts", it chooses the best of the parts that "fit the best". Paradoxically, as the system increases in size, the "open slots" become more constrained, the "fit" becomes more overdefined by the existing parts, and the likelihood of choosing based on "rawr bestness" is decreased. Take heart, Fellow Rejectee!