[brigadier132]

You missed the point. Using the analogy from the article, if you take YC money (or any VC money) you need to dig until you find a massive pile of treasure, if you dig and find a small pile of treasure you have to ignore it and start over because VCs are not looking for small piles of treasure, they only care about massive ones. Ignore the fact that the small pile of treasure could actually result in a very good life for a small group of people in a small company.

[albntomat0]

I considered that as an issue with being a vc funded startup founder. I could have made that part slightly more clear.

Once again, a much broader issue than just YC! The author could have written the exact same article, just with VC instead of YC.

[lacrimacida]

Can they take the pile and start another company?

[brigadier132]

No, the VC will want a big exit, the founders will be forced to raise more money and grow the business to be unsustainable and then it will either be shuttered or acquired.

[PeterisP]

No, they'd be forced by the board to spend/invest that pile towards digging deeper trying to find a massive treasure.