[blagie]

Please read the YC text again.

The problem isn't the offer, so much as the rationale behind the offer. It's perfectly possible to make a similar offer without being ageist:

* Grad schools do that. "Learn; we'll give you $24k per year as a stipend."

* YC could pitch the $125k, a for example, a means to improve inclusiveness and DEI.

* Etc.

That's not what they do. They say that the program is for founding teams for whom $125k will cover a half-year of expenses, at least. That means young teams. There's a lot of ageist copy from YC. That's why I assume I'm not welcome there.

[tptacek]

Again, I'm (technically) a YC founder, I'm in my 40's, and I don't get that at all from the $125k number. If anything, I feel like I have an easier time with first-year startup expenses at this age than I did in my 20s.

[blagie]

How is that at all responsive to what I wrote?

I said the $125k number could be fine, if the rationale behind it wasn't ageist. You come back and defend the number.

[tptacek]

The rationale isn't ageist.