[kumarm]

(Since no one is pointing out Elephant in the room, I will do that).

YC has been around for 10 years. Average age of a company from First Investment to IPO in 2014 is less than 10 years (http://lifescivc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Time-From-VC... Source 1.)

Personally, I believe startups excel when odds were stacks against us (forced to innovate and make founders strong and tested). I think YC or any incubator has a structure that shields companies from facing challenges initially.

I don't think Incubators are proven to be a great Idea yet ( if you are someone with industry experience rather than a fresh graduate).

1. http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucebooth/2015/02/24/tortoise-h...

[jkarneges]

VCs don't invest at the idea stage, so most initial funding comes from angels or accelerators (or bootstrapped because founders are already rich, but that doesn't count). Since having industry experience does not necessarily equate to having a vast angel network, accelerators fill in the gap.