My argument was against "franchising" in the sense that the franchises would be top-level equivalents of YC, a demand on the time of YC partners and a dilution

My argument was against "franchising" in the sense that the franchises would be top-level equivalents of YC, a demand on the time of YC partners and a dilution of the network. I think YC does extend its' brand in a different way: by funding companies that create new avenues for startup funding/networking such as FundersClub.