Founder Blasts YC: 7% Equity for $125K Is a 'Giant Ripoff' in the AI Era
SumitGup · x · 2026-09-16
A founder argues YC has become a 'giant ripoff,' calling 7% equity for $125K absurd in today's environment. His case: 300-person cohorts turn startups into cogs in a mass portfolio bet; three months of 'education' is freely available online; Demo Day reduces founders to hoping a VC picks them in minutes. He concedes YC was worth it a decade ago when knowledge was scarce and distribution was hard, but claims content plus AI can now take you from $0 to $1M in weeks — making YC a 'boomer offering.'
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