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0 pointsswatkat712y ago0 comments

I agree that they're being too nice to the founders thinking if their feedback could alter their paths. I like how you draw parallels to a break-up. But even during a break-up pussyfooting around what made you break up with the other person just makes them generally sour and guarded.

I've seen a lot of people who speculate (often for a long time), at the reasons for their break-up and that ends up consuming them. It might lead to them questioning the very basis of why they started doing something in the first place.

Feedback helps there! I guess, the sheer volume of applications make it impossible for them to individually respond to every application, but, without feedback, it just seems grim and insincere.

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jdrobins200012y ago

Not enough time is a completely valid reason. But I haven't heard that from them.

About the breakup analogy: the similarities are many, like how each one is different, sometimes complete honesty could do more harm than good, and sometimes there is no reason other than "we're just not right for each other" or "I met someone else." And maybe I should add, breaking up over email using a form letter is cold shit. Haha, just a joke, I know they probably do have good reasons for it.

baruch12y ago

One reason for not giving out a reason is that with the reasons given, collected and analyzed one could try to game the system by eliminating all signals that YC uses to detect bad applications without actually fixing the underlying issues.

There was a post lately about PG giving an interview and giving some shred of direction as to what makes YC reject applications and there was a big discussion on that fine point. He also said in the discussion that it was just a single way to discern between good and bad applications and that he doesn't give them all out so as not to be gamed around the indicators that YC uses to reject applications.

jdrobins200012y ago

Thank you for your insights. I will look for that interview, but if you could share the link I'd appreciate it.

I can understand reluctance to share too many details, but I can imagine a useful middle ground between detailed and nothing.

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swatkat7OP12y ago

WORD! :D

If time isn't the limiting factor, and I saw on some other thread about pg saying how scalability isn't a bottleneck either (for now), not giving feedback is a choice they have retained. LOVE for pg to comment on this.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsswatkat712y ago0 comments

Feedback helps there! I guess, the sheer volume of applications make it impossible for them to individually respond to every application, but, without feedback, it just seems grim and insincere.

0 comments

jdrobins200012y ago

Not enough time is a completely valid reason. But I haven't heard that from them.

baruch12y ago

jdrobins200012y ago

Thank you for your insights. I will look for that interview, but if you could share the link I'd appreciate it.

I can understand reluctance to share too many details, but I can imagine a useful middle ground between detailed and nothing.

1 more reply

swatkat7OP12y ago

WORD! :D

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse