Again, I'm (technically) a YC founder, I'm in my 40's, and I don't get that at all from the $125k number. If anything, I feel like I have an easier time with first-year startup expenses at this age than I did in my 20s.
How is that at all responsive to what I wrote?
I said the $125k number could be fine, if the rationale behind it wasn't ageist. You come back and defend the number.
The problem isn't the offer, so much as the rationale behind the offer. It's perfectly possible to make a similar offer without being ageist:
* Grad schools do that. "Learn; we'll give you $24k per year as a stipend."
* YC could pitch the $125k, a for example, a means to improve inclusiveness and DEI.
* Etc.
That's not what they do. They say that the program is for founding teams for whom $125k will cover a half-year of expenses, at least. That means young teams. There's a lot of ageist copy from YC. That's why I assume I'm not welcome there.