Access to funding and marketing continue to matter a lot for most startups. Since web products are so easy to change and refine in response to feedback the init

Access to funding and marketing continue to matter a lot for most startups. Since web products are so easy to change and refine in response to feedback the initial quality of a product doesn't matter too much. As long as you can get users to provide feedback and funding to stay alive while you refine the idea you have a much higher chance of success. I'd argue that YC provides both: more attention and better access to funding, particularly because YC's track record at picking winners. The better you get at picking winners the more important the YC brand becomes.