You can get way more than half a million dollars per year making something that touches half a million people by working at a FAANG. In the end you're likely to

You can get way more than half a million dollars per year making something that touches half a million people by working at a FAANG. In the end you're likely to be much wealthier by working there than at a failing startup. It's pretty exploitive of YC to pimp the startup so hard; the only one making money consistently with that lottery ticket approach is them.