Tldr, series A is a balance between traction or more young, charismatic ivy league graduates. The less you have of one the more you need of the other.
I'm always amazed how much it takes for people to say pretty simple things.
I'm always amazed how much it takes for people to say pretty simple things.
"more young, charismatic ivy league graduates" is not at all what the author describes. The author's thesis is that raising a Series A has requirements ranging between a Seed round which is based on, "the quality of the founders and the raw story that they can tell about their company and the future that company will create" and a Series B which is based on "[the] need to have accomplished a significant set of things that prove their ability to accomplish that future".
Be that as it may, if you're one of those people you can use it to your advantage and get away with less traction.
Your poor conclusion of "ivy league grad" is ridiculous. If anything YC looks for doers not those that have.
Please be aware this is your bias, your POV. You can't use it to prove your own point.
PhD is nothing similar to your connotation of Ivy League grad. The former requires years of sacrifice, ruined relationship, and missed experiences to master an esoteric part of science. The latter has the connotation of privilege.
Being charismatic isn't entirely unrelated to one's ability to lead a company. You don't have to be slick, but projecting enough charm that people don't wander off while you're talking helps with hiring and sales.
You can learn to be acceptably charismatic if you put some effort into it. If Bill Gates and Jan Koum did it, you can too.