The cumulative experience and knowledge of YCers isn't something which can be conveyed remotely. I would definitely agree with that. I think another reason mig

The cumulative experience and knowledge of YCers isn't something which can be conveyed remotely. I would definitely agree with that. I think another reason might be simple "peer pressure." When everyone around you is working on a startup, and when you start to see some of those people succeed -- it lights a fire under you. (Or at least me) I'm in a "live-and-learn" entrepreneurial program at my university. Everyone on the first two floors of my building is in the same program, working on their own ideas. It's pretty neat. One of the alums of this program founded Squarespace, another guy a floor above me runs Invisionfree/ZetaBoards. The immersive experience is what makes the program. My co-founder lives next door (about five feet away). I don't know that a YC-like experience can be had remotely.