>> the network effects that make YC more valuable for companies when the batch is larger.
This is only part of the story though. THe size of the network doesn't mean nearly as much as the quality of the connection; i.e. edges over nodes.
Every other point is true to some extent but addresses the accidental vs. essential aspects of a startup. Collective bargaining for services? hiring pool? potential customers? These all seem like nice-to-haves vs. must-haves.
Call me jaded but I see a VC machine that hires it's friends, associates and good-but-not-great investments, and then needs to fuel the machine with startups at scale. This could work but I can't see how it's better than smaller batches for anyone but YC.
This is only part of the story though. THe size of the network doesn't mean nearly as much as the quality of the connection; i.e. edges over nodes.
Every other point is true to some extent but addresses the accidental vs. essential aspects of a startup. Collective bargaining for services? hiring pool? potential customers? These all seem like nice-to-haves vs. must-haves.
Call me jaded but I see a VC machine that hires it's friends, associates and good-but-not-great investments, and then needs to fuel the machine with startups at scale. This could work but I can't see how it's better than smaller batches for anyone but YC.