Being part of community of talented people is a great thing. In addition to having a large pool of people to ask for help though, I think a great benefit is th

Being part of community of talented people is a great thing. In addition to having a large pool of people to ask for help though, I think a great benefit is that YC companies help each other out without being directly asked. For example, other YC companies might try to make a conscious effort to use Hipmunk to buy flights, or Airbnb. In addition to trying to use each others' services, YC companies will probably often give each other feedback about what could be improved about each other's services. Compare this to the alternative of trying to launch a new service, gain customers, and get feedback on your own.