We’ve just finished reviewing applications for the Winter 2015 batch and have sent out invitations for interviews. In this cycle we saw a +40% increase in the number of companies applying over the Summer 2014 batch. 

Reviewing this many companies is a humbling experience and one we take very seriously. Most of us who work for YC are alums and understand the gravity and emotion that can go into submissions. We know it’s tough to separate your own identity from the company you have founded so applying can be quite personal.

If you applied, you should not take our evaluation as either a final judgment or perfect assessment of your company. This applies to both the companies that did and did not get invited to interviews. We are sure we missed some great companies as a byproduct of operating at this scale. Don’t let funding take your eye off the goal: making something people want. Everything else, including going through Y Combinator, is there to support that goal but is not the goal itself.

We also wanted to take this opportunity to thank our alumni publicly. They are the invisible hand that helps our small organization with this significant task. Often YC founders themselves will tell you that the best thing about YC is to learn from a cohort of like minds with similar ambitions. YC would not work without the 1,400+ alumni founders who take their time to help us and each other.

Finally, many companies at this stage can seem small but we noticed that they are more ambitious than ever. We love that. It refutes the meme that early stage companies today are too myopic or working on incremental improvements. It’s an easy complaint to lob at founders who are in the field toiling away but one that seems to be off the mark.