Given that YC is essentially the "Harvard" of startup accelerators, I think that by analyzing how Harvard got to where it is today, we can gain a lot of insight

Given that YC is essentially the "Harvard" of startup accelerators, I think that by analyzing how Harvard got to where it is today, we can gain a lot of insight into YC's success as well. Not unlike YC, Harvard was also the first of its kind (oldest college in the US), which gives them a first mover advantage right off the bat. And then somewhere along the way, just like YC with Airbnb and Dropbox, Harvard too probably got "lucky" early on with several alums who became super rich and successful, who then started giving back to the Harvard community via generous donations of their money and time, which coupled with their first-mover advantage resulted in a virtuous cycle of success that no other university has been able to replicate since. Smash cut to the present, and Harvard has a $32 BILLION war chest (endowment) and a network of alumni who go out of their way to ensure that the next generation of Harvard students can succeed as well. Lastly, I think YC's small size has been essential to its success. I myself went to a very small liberal arts college (total student body of only ~2,000), and the small size allows for a level of intimacy and personal care that larger universities could never dream of. It also causes us to feel like underdogs and war buddies, and thus that much more willing to help other alums in order to keep growing and sustaining our small but precious community. Oh and btw, it just so happens that pg got his Masters and PhD from Harvard. Coincidence? You tell me :P