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Comment by netrus | Hacker News Reader

Wow, the American attitude is strong with you ;). Looking forward to see what the SN-ratio of all these strong statements is!

edit: As I am beeing downvoted:

"you'll use many of these in your home or neighborhood within the next 12 months" -> I doubt I have used "many" yc-products from the total last batch in the past 12 months.

"Over the next year, you’ll see us introduce several features that make YC the best place in the world for people who want to make something new. Over the next decade, you’ll see some of these entrepreneurs create companies at YC that rival Airbnb’s social (and financial) impact." -> That's very nice, but it has nothing substantial to back it up!

All I want to say is: yc does not need to sell hot air.

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While I have no idea how many you specifically will choose to purchase, a majority of the hardware startups in our current batch will have product for sale via Amazon and other channels by summer 2016. This sounds strong given the history of hardware companies, but our current batch is not comprised of average hardware companies;)

> a majority of the hardware startups in our current batch will have product for sale via Amazon and other channels by summer 2016. This sounds strong given the history of hardware companies...

with all due respect, it sounds weak in the history of hardware companies, because no hardware company worth $10 billion - and there are many - had any point in its past when it could go from a standing start to shipping product for millions of people's homes in 12 months.

You might think this means that your companies are above-average. I disagree. I think it means that you pass on most $10 billion plays in order to fill a stable with people who have picked something they are ready to ship within a few months.

More power to them, and they have real companies with real traction. But to say it sounds strong given the history of hardware companies is to ignore both history and the power law.

I have the utmost respect for the support YC gives to these hardware companies, but would never apply with a historically ambitious one. This is very unlikely to change any time soon. Still I hugely support the push toward supporting hardware companies!

You would rather they make statements with a neutral tone, promising nothing?

What's wrong with expressing a little excitement and optimism?

Hype is a thing that can turn against you quickly when you don't deliver exactly as promised or more. See 'the AI winter' for an example of that.

There's a line somewhere, but this was tasteful. I don't see what's so objectionable.

> I doubt I have used "many" yc-products from the total last batch in the past 12 months.

I think you're conflating YC with Kickstarter. YC increasingly works with companies that are later-stage; there's no reason they couldn't be almost shipping when they do YC.

I don't think it is an issue of shipping, but an issue of any one person having a need for most of the companies that come through YC.

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