Even if you don't get in: If you've got the commitment to apply to YC, then it's only a small step to saying "I'm doing this thing, whatever Paul Graham says". NYTimes not withstanding, your biggest hurdle isn't getting into YC, it's committing to pursuing your dream.

In fact, I figure if you took all the people YC rejects, weeded out the ones who didn't want to do it if YC didn't support them, removed the people who only wanted to work on their ideas, and got the remainder together to discuss how much their ideas suck and what else they could do and with whom, you'd do pretty well.

I call it the YC Rejects Party.

Now is that socialism?