That's a good point. We don't have a strong network of angels, VCs, and other founders here in Denver. That's definitely a huge plus of the YC experience. I do wonder if we could build a network that would be good enough in the next few months, since we have a few good contacts and Denver/Boulder is pretty good for that type of stuff (admittedly, not as good as Cambridge or the Bay Area).
Again, not knocking YC, just weighing our options.
People who already have a lot of startup connections and experience probably don't need YC, but I don't get the impression that you are one of those people.