Ask HN: why isn't YC a reality tv show?

The problem with turning something into a reality TV show is that it normally introduces the element of decisions being made based on their entertainment value. If people watch it, they expect drama, suspense, romance, action, etc. All the sorts of things a good story involves.

Look at The Apprentice. It's a reality TV show/competition focused on the lives of business people as they try to impress an investor (Alan Sugar/Donald Trump) and there's a lot of big talk, a lot of back-stabbing and general crapness. But it is still entertainment, and it really isn't about the business acumen or creativity of the contestants, it's about how many stupid things they can say and do for our amusement.

What I'm saying is, turning YC into a reality TV show would cheapen it. Nuff said.

I'd love to see a documentary style show following different start ups. I think it could be both entertaining and educational. Seeing the decisions they have to make and the consequence of them.

It wouldn't scale. YC is funding more and more companies every cycle, but every season of this show could feature only a constant number of companies.

Perhaps the YC crew doesn't want it to be a distraction for its startups? Are you thinking of a TV show like the Dragon's Den in Canada?

Well, one obvious counterpoint: startup founders and early employees work 90 hour weeks before you point cameras at them.

TechStars has a TV show on Bloomberg, it's alright.