Well. YC is elitist. At some point, just based on volume you have to be selective in a way that's perceived as being elitist. You have 5 applicants. They all l

Well. YC is elitist. At some point, just based on volume you have to be selective in a way that's perceived as being elitist. You have 5 applicants. They all look great/same. One of them has a reference you can trust. OF COURSE you weigh that. Why wouldn't you use a signal if you thought it might make a difference? The fix from the applicants side isn't to try to put that in your resume (it's just a nice to have, hardly worth the X years it will take out of you life). The fix is to differentiate yourself in terms of product and traction because that's the only way completely within your control. ps: I agree with the general gist of your comment though :)