I understand wanting to get into YC, but if your figures were wrong, you should have known that long before the interview. If your figured weren't wrong, and yo

I understand wanting to get into YC, but if your figures were wrong, you should have known that long before the interview. If your figured weren't wrong, and you changed them for the interview, that's also a pretty big problem. We got in with half the partners disliking our idea. I don't know how they can make it more clear than the "no idea" application - they care about the team so much more than the idea. The biggest thing for me is this: if you were willing to put your PhD on hold with YC, you should be willing to put your PhD on hold without YC. The fact that it changes your answer is probably one of the biggest reasons you weren't selected. pg has stated before, YC doesn't want to make companies succeed. They want to make companies which _will_ succeed more successful. Successful teams know they're going to be successful with or without YC. If you were turned away for low numbers, they would have said so in the rejection email. I find it unlikely that they did, or you would have posted it, I'm sure. The fact that so many people are giving you advice as to actual problems, and that you're ignoring them, is a pretty big issue.