[SirLJ]

Yep, already got rejected couple of times, even before the AI boom, with my company which clearly falls under "Using Machine Learning to simulate the physical world" and "Explainable A.I." and have the potential to fall under most of the rest...

[Difwif]

A lot of YC's material about their selection process centers around the founders instead of the idea. They openly admit that they choose a team and expect you to pivot a few times.

Obviously I don't know anything about you or your ideas and I don't mean to offend but I've typically assumed that a YC rejection means they disqualified the candidate for one reason or another.

Do they give feedback in their rejection? I'm considering applying.

[sudosteph]

They give zero feedback, so there are way better places to apply if that's all you're looking for.

The truth is the applicants have to have a story that resonates with whoever reviews your submission. Sometimes people jive over a shared problem space, sometimes they just like people who remind them of themselves or who come from "trust networks" they respect. The latter cases are where the bias keeps seeping in.

And just because they don't pick you for an interview doesn't mean you were disqualified forever. A lot of people reapply and have success. There are just so few slots compared to applicants that most don't hear anything.

[SirLJ]

No individual feedback, I am not offended at all as this is 2 way street, why would I accept money from someone who does not believe in me :-)