This is an interesting example of a deal between two different YC-funded startups. More and more of these are happening. It stands to reason that the rate would increase sharply because the number of potential connections grows as the square of the number of startups we've funded, but even so I've been surprised by it.
Do you think its purely that they know each other so well? Are yc classes more likely to connect when they are closer or in the same class than if they were farther apart. Are these connections suggested?
If they continue I wonder if it could lead to yc startups merging together or being even bought together by a single company.
Seems like increasingly you're an 'ecosystem manager' -- of HN, and of the broadening pool of YC-funded startups.
That is definitely true. The startups help one another a lot, and I find myself spending an increasing amount of time encouraging that.