Hi Sam, I hope you will consider solving these perception problems by making a more transparent and open application process, that weighs the value of each attr

Hi Sam, I hope you will consider solving these perception problems by making a more transparent and open application process, that weighs the value of each attribute on the application. The question being, for example, how much more does a good idea carry weight than a personal connection? Or how much more does a good team carry more weight than a limited, but clear market focus? This is surely something that you do internally when making your choice, and I think there is no harm in expressing it externally. It will help you attract more of what you want, while giving potential applicants more information about what you want. Personally, I felt frustrated in my last YC application that other teams with seemingly lesser abilities and project scope were accepted over our application, and it would be good for all concerned to be able to provide better feedback than simply, "we make mistakes sometimes'.