[pg]

I was calling them clones because that's what other people were calling them.

They are, though. All we have in common with seed stage incubators is investing at the seed stage. What these guys have in common with us is a whole list of distinctive things: investing in multiple startups simultaneously, taking about 6%, using an application form instead of accepting business plans, making founders move to where we are, using a three month timeline, having weekly dinners, bringing in outside experts to speak to the founders as a group, having a Demo Day where they all present to investors. Often whole chunks of text on their sites are paraphrased from ours.

[okeumeni]

This question 12 was copied from YC application as well

>12. Why would your project be hard for someone else to duplicate?

It clearly illustrate the apparent problem YC will face in the future, I think you should think of something to avoid complete duplicate. From my view I think the value of YC is in its network and Knowhow, any founder will recognize that.

As it's getting harder and harder to even speak to you guys the temptation for founders to go the other way will even be stronger. I'm sure you can come up with something.

[jkent]

So what is to be done about this?

I assume one of your main distinctive features is unique to YC - you.

Surely by continuously refining the detail you can be one cycle ahead of the competition - possibly shortening the 'application open' window.

Why not release more data on your successes. They can't copy that.

[pg]

I don't think we have to do much about it. Copies are never as big a problem as they seem.

[Kaizyn]

Releasing more data would just give the competition something else to copy. Instead, YC could build a 'one click' application process and patent it.

Seriously though, YCombinator could always franchise their system. That way, they at least profit when others use the fruits of their labors.