I'd say YC is more like a business partner. They know everything there is to know about your business and offer advice -- but that's because they've been there before and have an invested interest in making sure you succeed. So it's important they're honest with you and guide you as best they can.
But a coach is in a different position. How do you get someone with enough knowledge in your area to provide insightful advice? How do you make sure they're not blowing smoke up your ass to keep you as a client?
My guess is you just make sure you get the best or have an old friend in the business who won't pull punches. In that sense it's nice that something like YC is around for the upstarts that can't yet afford the best or don't have a prebuilt network.
But not every small startup can get into YC, obviously, which I guess is where sites like Hacker News and a good network of like-minded friends can fill in the gap.
But a coach is in a different position. How do you get someone with enough knowledge in your area to provide insightful advice? How do you make sure they're not blowing smoke up your ass to keep you as a client?
My guess is you just make sure you get the best or have an old friend in the business who won't pull punches. In that sense it's nice that something like YC is around for the upstarts that can't yet afford the best or don't have a prebuilt network.
But not every small startup can get into YC, obviously, which I guess is where sites like Hacker News and a good network of like-minded friends can fill in the gap.