[forgotmysn]

Agreed. I worked for a YC company who's founders went through YC before they even had a company. In fact, they still hadn't landed on one by the time they came out. But they were Stanford and MIT grads, and insanely well-connected.

[gt_]

When I hear that founders are more important than ideas, I wonder how much of “founders” refers to the founders’ upper-class culture sync and connections. Of course, it never represents all of that, but, could founders with only intelligence, teamwork and ingenuity skills suffice on their own?

[forgotmysn]

It's definitely complex. A strong network doesn't necessarily signify wealthy background, although it is likely. Rather, it demonstrates an ability to connect with people who can aid in your success, and that ability is a necessary component of being a successful founder.

[gt_]

That makes sense. I wouldn't want to underrate the importance of ability to connect with the right people, which is a pretty complicated thing as it is, and there are only so many ways by which to evaluate it.