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I don't know how or why this story got out, but I think it's completely inappropriate to call out a team for not making the cut. It's hard enough as it is to put yourself out there and apply, but making news of an unsuccessful application makes it that much more daunting for someone to even decide to give it a shot.

I hope this article doesn't discourage people from applying in the future.

-Arielle Zuckerberg

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I agree, but for different reasons. It's simply not a newsworthy item. Gossip worthy? Looks like it.

i agree for both reasons. my first reaction was the same as yours - that this is simply gossip, and as so unworthy of posting to hn. but arielle is right too - it really is bad form to post a story by a third party about someone being rejected (if they want to post about their own yc application and rejection, that's a very different thing). i'm glad she spoke up about it, because that aspect of things really hadn't occurred to me.

I thought it was great when I read it. For one, it shows that YC is a true meritocracy, where connections does not necessarily get you in. Second, it shows that this new round of YC startups is really going to be amazing, if someone with this level of pedigree (and intelligence) couldn't get in.

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