Kickstarter is a great thing to push people to get things done that they might not otherwise do on their own.

YC is a great way to kick your startup into high gear as well.

But that's where the similarities end.

They are not substitutes for one another. YC is also not a company. It is a pre-seed stage venture firm (with amazing advice from PG, Jessica and co) and a network of entrepreneurs who help each other.