The Q Score: How Y Combinator's Startups Are Like Broadway Musicals

Very interesting. Assumes that there is some significant interaction between the old YC members and the new. Not sure that this assumption is valid. Also, it seems like broadway productions would require huge teams where this sort of thing would be important, which may not apply to startups.

I'm still assuming that YC's decision to admit idea-less startups indicates that success is more a function of the people and their willingness to do battle, than the particular idea they're promoting. The relevant quote being:

Almost everyone who worked for us was an animal at what they did.[1]

[1] http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html

Would be interesting to see a similar study of successful startups, or for that matter, sports teams. Are "close but not too close" connections as important there, too?