[bovik]

Just read Parts I and II of that article. Really interesting perspective. I've been talking to some recent YC "grads" in the valley and the amount of brainwashing they seem to have undergone is just shocking. And yet, so many more keep flocking to them year after year like lambs to the slaughter. Amazing.

[ryanx435]

in theory, what YC does is good for our society. they provide mentorship and opportunity to new companies and help lead them to success. I have no problem whatsoever with YC's existence nor with the people they fund. I just don't want to be involved. they don't offer very much money at alli and they get too much influence and power over the start up for my tastes. I realized by pg's response that it wasn't for me. I wrote up why, and posted it. I was honestly not expecting him to respond.

but than again I also agree with the original articles premise that there is another tech bubble of stupid companies and it is about to go bust. and I think YC actively contributes to the problem by funding companies with terrible ideas. they want their funded companies to be aquihires because than they get their return. YC doesn't care if the business is sustainable or not as long as it gets bought. that's their schtick: they do the training instead of the universities.

this will affect me if and when I decide to get outside funding because investors won't be willing to invest as much. it will be exactly like after the internet bubble where there is no market to sell investors on the company. that is what concerns me. I'm not looking for an aquihire. I'm not looking for an exit. I'm looking to build a sustainable company that brings value to my customers.

note: not trolling you, these are my actual concerns.

[seiji]

the amount of brainwashing

I'd love to hear you expand on that (specific cases? the progression of delusion? were they crazy to start out?).

[bovik]

I won't give out specific names of course. The brainwashing is mostly around the cult of personality around pg. Everything he writes or espouses becomes gospel. Now, we all know he can write intelligently and with research on some things he knows well. But he can also sound equally confident spouting utter bullshit about stuff he knows nothing about (e.g. http://www.idlewords.com/2005/04/dabblers_and_blowhards.htm ). Listening to ultra confident blowhards and separating bullshit from reality is a skill people tend to learn as they grow into the adult world.

But these are mostly people in their early to mid twenties who have little to no actual experience in the real world. They seem to believe startups and entrepreneurship was invented by this one man. The fact that after almost 200 investments, there are a sum total of two possibly viable businesses that may end up coming out of this enterprise seems to have no effect on that conviction (and one of them (airbnb) is teetering really close to edge of being unsustainable (pending the question of legal liabilities of renters as well city ordinances etc.)).

It really is a cult of personality with all connotations of the word "cult" coming into play.

[YuriNiyazov]

I don't understand why you are here, on a site run by pg, insulting him and yc.