In the chat room someone posted a few nights ago, there were more than a few people who hinted at that being the case for them and their companies. I'd consider

In the chat room someone posted a few nights ago, there were more than a few people who hinted at that being the case for them and their companies. I'd consider any number > 0 to be "too many". I guess they see validation from YC as an absolute guarantee that they'll reach their end goal, or even as the end goal itself. Really, it's neither. There's a mountain of evidence showing that startups face cold, dark, and lonely times whether they're big or small, YC-validated or obscure, well-funded or strapped for cash. If you can't survive without YC, you probably can't survive with YC. I've been rejected 2 or 3 times now, and I'm still going at it.