The cynic in me says because they have the brand name and they can be stingy.<p>The reality is likely that they are conveying their values through the investment terms. They want startups to be lean, fast, and high growth. Money makes you lazy. They&#x27;re saying they&#x27;ll teach you the actually valuable stuff in the program. YC also says they&#x27;ll help you raise more investment money if you need it, which is true, I suppose...