This is all besides the point --- I think it's interesting to think critically about YC, but really, who cares?
I'm saying, to the person who said "I wish it was that easy", it is exactly that easy. Most of the companies YC "funds" don't need VC to start up, which is good, because YC doesn't give you that kind of money anyways.
There are lots of paths to success. Look at virtually any Mac software startup; none of them get VC, and they accomplish ridiculous things. Which is harder to build, Reddit or Quicksilver? Reddit was Graham's "hello world" for Arc.
I'm saying, to the person who said "I wish it was that easy", it is exactly that easy. Most of the companies YC "funds" don't need VC to start up, which is good, because YC doesn't give you that kind of money anyways.
There are lots of paths to success. Look at virtually any Mac software startup; none of them get VC, and they accomplish ridiculous things. Which is harder to build, Reddit or Quicksilver? Reddit was Graham's "hello world" for Arc.