Before I launch into an argument for how to conduct the selection process I wanted to say thanks to everyone who contributed to Apply HN. The feedback and support that we received went beyond our wildest expectations and regardless of what happens we're glad we participated.
<argument>With that being said, I would suggest that upvotes and comments should have serious weight in the decision of who receives the fellowship. My understanding of this process was that it was an opportunity for members of HN to express their voice in the YCF selection process and it seems to me that the way they do so is via comments and upvotes. While the idea of a "runoff" selection with the top five or top ten most upvoted posts is appealing in practice it also disregards much of the work that the community put into vetting and discussing existing submissions. A runoff also doesn't solve the problem that it purports to solve, that some submissions got more structural attention than others, because it is also being conducted on an anonymous message board over an arbitrarily selected period of time (not unlike the first 20 odd days of Apply HN). As an example, someone who had the chance to vote or comment on ApplyHN might miss the runoff because of a bad week at work, and that means that their voices could be washed out.
I have a vested interest in saying this, but I am skeptical (until I see data) of all of the oblique suggestions that the front runners' posts only made it there because of bandwagoning. I like to think that we, along with many of the other front runners, presented a strong idea that deserved the attention it got. A separate but related point is that this is HN, not a randomized controlled experiment in selecting companies, so the habits and voting patterns of the community should be seen as a feature rather than a bug.
If I were running this selection process I would say that some combination of comments + upvotes + the judgment of the partners who will work with these companies would be the best way to choose the fellowship recipients.
But, that's just me :). </argument>
Thanks again to everyone who upvoted, asked questions, and gave feedback. More thoughts + feedback are always welcome. (I'm at gajbotelho@gmail.com if anyone wants to reach out privately.)
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11452884
EDIT: Small edits for clarity.
EDIT2: Removed "(a more focused version of /u/baron816's suggestion)" because it just wasn't that accurate of a statement