[arbuge]

The number quoted is anything but meaningless - it's the best estimate out there of the value of these companies right now.

Sequoia has been at work for alot more time than YC, and put alot more money to work than YC in that time. YC has a stake of at least several percent of that $13.7B figure, translating into about a billion of its own now by my reckoning. Doing pretty well I'd say.

With incubators, as with musicians, things seem to gravitate towards a superstar economy with rich rewards for the top handful of players in the Valley, and peanuts for your average village incubator in the sticks.

[orenbarzilai]

As some body here already mentioned, the "unsuccessful" founders can always go back to work at Microsoft/fb/google etc, unlike the unsuccessful musicians... But I agree with the analogy.

[throwaway1979]

I'm curious if people have first hand experience going back. In some occupations, professor jobs and researchers at labs, going back isn't trivial.