TL;DR: Don't automatically write off YC bc you think you have the right contacts, mentors and/or investors. So I've seen both sides: bright eyed startups out t

TL;DR: Don't automatically write off YC bc you think you have the right contacts, mentors and/or investors. So I've seen both sides: bright eyed startups out to change the world and enterprise startups that quit corporate. Enterprise startups are mostly about getting an early customer interested to help build out something they would use. Building to a real use-case and getting feedback on an ongoing experiment. To that end, with the experience and founders of founders and investors in that space, the value of YC doesn't seem particularly relevant to them when the path seems pretty clear. This may not be the case if particular YC partners have the exact relationships that would provide crucial leverage. (Business end-game can be a photo-finish measured in inches.) Also, access to folks that won't bullshit you is immensely important. Further, the community itself powerful and helps your venture from getting short-sticked in a business context (no matter how good is your game and network). So don't discount YC.