Comment by darkhorse13

>unless you have significant traction already, in which case you may as well go to any investor and they will fund you

This is the part that really bothers me unfortunately. I honestly grew up thinking that YC invested in people and ideas more than traction. If I had traction, I could raise money from anywhere. YC does invest in people without traction, but you have to be a certain type of person, from a certain background, and from certain institutions.