NBER study of 750,000 startups finds Y Combinator value-add fell by 2022
Discourse · Reddit · stat: 60-80% An NBER working paper analyzing Y Combinator and other accelerators reveals a sharp decline in YC's incremental value-add by 2022. The researchers isolate founder…
Discourse · Reddit · stat: 60-80%
An NBER working paper analyzing Y Combinator and other accelerators reveals a sharp decline in YC's incremental value-add by 2022. The researchers isolate founder quality from accelerator impact, concluding that 60% to 80% of programs actually yield worse outcomes than building independently. The study evaluated data from 750,000 startups across 329 accelerators.
Scaling batch sizes has diluted the network effects that built YC Founders must evaluate accelerator equity costs more strictly as program utility declines and network value concentrates in older cohorts.
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