4 ms·

It's funny because it's causing a tragedy of the commons where there are so many AI startups that YC is funding companies that compete with each other. Case in

It's funny because it's causing a tragedy of the commons where there are so many AI startups that YC is funding companies that compete with each other. Case in point, the the PearAI incident a year ago where a YC company forked and rebranded an open source repo from another YC company against its license: https://unfashionable.blog/p/yc/ https://unfashionable.blog/p/yc/ HN thread on the apology: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41701265 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41701265 Speaking of which, apparently PearAI deleted their apology in the intervening year.

Macha 1y ago
Is placing bets on competing companies that against YC's business model? Like I'd assume the best case for YC's business model is to pick a winner, fund them, sell off at the company's peak, then find a competitor likely to unseat them and fund that competitor so they can enjoy the profits of capturing the same market again.
- bix6 1y ago
  Is it fair for someone with privileged information to back a direct competitor? I say no but YC clearly thinks otherwise.
  - roncesvalles 1y ago
    Yeah, to me that’s always been the obvious most "expensive" part about doing YC. It’s not the chunk of equity, it's that they now know everything about your company, your road map or ideas, and the way you think and operate. And that's a pretty good deal for whatever little money they're spending on you. The whole thing has a "frenemies" vibe.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- jacquesm 1y ago
  For many investors that's a bridge they will not cross because it will always lead to conflicts of interest.
johnnyanmac 1y ago
>Speaking of which, apparently PearAI deleted their apology in the intervening year. So, "sorry not sorry" and then back to the grind. Ethics be damned. A real shame. I went though a mandatory software ethics class and my FOSS exposure made me think a lot of the concepts were simply common sense. Read and respect licenses, don't endanger client data, don't do illegal shit. College me would have no idea how many people really needed to take that course.

Macha 1y ago

Is placing bets on competing companies that against YC's business model? Like I'd assume the best case for YC's business model is to pick a winner, fund them, sell off at the company's peak, then find a competitor likely to unseat them and fund that competitor so they can enjoy the profits of capturing the same market again.

bix6 1y ago
Is it fair for someone with privileged information to back a direct competitor? I say no but YC clearly thinks otherwise.
- roncesvalles 1y ago
  Yeah, to me that’s always been the obvious most "expensive" part about doing YC. It’s not the chunk of equity, it's that they now know everything about your company, your road map or ideas, and the way you think and operate. And that's a pretty good deal for whatever little money they're spending on you. The whole thing has a "frenemies" vibe.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
jacquesm 1y ago
For many investors that's a bridge they will not cross because it will always lead to conflicts of interest.

johnnyanmac 1y ago

>Speaking of which, apparently PearAI deleted their apology in the intervening year. So, "sorry not sorry" and then back to the grind. Ethics be damned. A real shame. I went though a mandatory software ethics class and my FOSS exposure made me think a lot of the concepts were simply common sense. Read and respect licenses, don't endanger client data, don't do illegal shit. College me would have no idea how many people really needed to take that course.