The shift from "One Million Jobs" to "First 10-person, $100B Company" really captures someting profound about where we've gone wrong. When building companies becomes about maximizing revenue per employee rather than solving actual problems, we've lost the plot. It's fascinating how the Request For Startups evolved from ambitious problem statements to basically a word cloud of whatever VCs are tweeting about. The hyperlegibility of tech has turned what should be a tool for change into just another carrer path. We need more ideological purists who belive in missions, not just founders chasing fundable ideas.
One of the best essays I have read this year. As a banker turned operator, I have gone through many of these (gruelling) self-assessments myself. It takes time to learn to think slow and act fast. This piece of writing beautifully asks and answers many of the questions I have pondered on in the past couple years.
One of the best pulses on the vibe shift I've read all year. Thanks Kyle!
I came into tech from education & humanitarian work. The Silicon Valley I admired in the 2010s built mobile, marketplaces, freemium, frictionless. This business model was predicated on network effects, scale economies, and near-zero marginal costs of replication - i.e., "How many people can we INCLUDE?" (re: on-ramps)
Silicon Valley in 2025 is leaner, meaner, with 996 performance theatre. We build rate limits, closed ecosystems, bot blockers, API gates - individually rational, but a tax on entire ecosystem
I came into tech when my idea for a kids' bear toy company got funded. In retrospect, it was miraculous I got funding at all. But I started with a belief: that young kids should be off the screen, interacting with the real world (and each other); that sure, machines are getting smarter - but the most importance intelligence isn't artificial. Beliefs like that still got funded in 2018.
If I was still on the outside, looking in, I don't think I'd join tech. And I don't think my optimism ("screen-free! hands-on! creators not consumers!") would be marketable to VCs today.
overall, it feels like "soulless" is the word that best describes the current zeitgeist.
Companies are these beautiful living organisms. I've worked with a few where colleagues were lit up, full of enthusiasm, joy, belief. I'm curious to see how the current crop of soulless companies hold up. Can an organism that creates deadness and malaise within its members persist for long? Maybe. But how?
“The idea of “slop startups” is a natural extension of the pursuit of a scalable model in an unscalable asset class. When our attempt to replicate success in a cookie cutter mold doesn’t work, we start throwing the bathroom sink at it and funding whatever we think might move the needle.”
This was a great read. Interesting perspective. Ty!
Great writeup. I've always seen Antler as a more thoughtful YC, especially with their emphasis on accelerators outside the US - and I think their returns are a reflection on that. It feels like legibility has created a race to the bottom, and people are still trying to chase alpha in pretty efficient markets.
The shift from "One Million Jobs" to "First 10-person, $100B Company" really captures someting profound about where we've gone wrong. When building companies becomes about maximizing revenue per employee rather than solving actual problems, we've lost the plot. It's fascinating how the Request For Startups evolved from ambitious problem statements to basically a word cloud of whatever VCs are tweeting about. The hyperlegibility of tech has turned what should be a tool for change into just another carrer path. We need more ideological purists who belive in missions, not just founders chasing fundable ideas.
One of the best essays I have read this year. As a banker turned operator, I have gone through many of these (gruelling) self-assessments myself. It takes time to learn to think slow and act fast. This piece of writing beautifully asks and answers many of the questions I have pondered on in the past couple years.
We're funding literally space fusion and you are clout-posting.
I've dedicated my life to proving you wrong about YC, Kyle. We're going to build the future. Enjoy the clout.
One of the best pulses on the vibe shift I've read all year. Thanks Kyle!
I came into tech from education & humanitarian work. The Silicon Valley I admired in the 2010s built mobile, marketplaces, freemium, frictionless. This business model was predicated on network effects, scale economies, and near-zero marginal costs of replication - i.e., "How many people can we INCLUDE?" (re: on-ramps)
Silicon Valley in 2025 is leaner, meaner, with 996 performance theatre. We build rate limits, closed ecosystems, bot blockers, API gates - individually rational, but a tax on entire ecosystem
I came into tech when my idea for a kids' bear toy company got funded. In retrospect, it was miraculous I got funding at all. But I started with a belief: that young kids should be off the screen, interacting with the real world (and each other); that sure, machines are getting smarter - but the most importance intelligence isn't artificial. Beliefs like that still got funded in 2018.
If I was still on the outside, looking in, I don't think I'd join tech. And I don't think my optimism ("screen-free! hands-on! creators not consumers!") would be marketable to VCs today.
Worth reading, especially your phrase of "... paint the number."
Furthermore, the conclussion about "tools" is totally fascinating, super agree. Kinda balance perspective. Thanks for insight! 😬✨
Alternative title: "Against the tateification of YC".
great essay, thanks for writing it.
overall, it feels like "soulless" is the word that best describes the current zeitgeist.
Companies are these beautiful living organisms. I've worked with a few where colleagues were lit up, full of enthusiasm, joy, belief. I'm curious to see how the current crop of soulless companies hold up. Can an organism that creates deadness and malaise within its members persist for long? Maybe. But how?
“The idea of “slop startups” is a natural extension of the pursuit of a scalable model in an unscalable asset class. When our attempt to replicate success in a cookie cutter mold doesn’t work, we start throwing the bathroom sink at it and funding whatever we think might move the needle.”
This was a great read. Interesting perspective. Ty!
Overall.. sad story of deteriorating (
Great writeup. I've always seen Antler as a more thoughtful YC, especially with their emphasis on accelerators outside the US - and I think their returns are a reflection on that. It feels like legibility has created a race to the bottom, and people are still trying to chase alpha in pretty efficient markets.
Thank you!