Hiya Sneak. As somebody with a
lot of amateur experience regarding the FEIE, the Physical Presence Test is just there to provide a quick-to-adjudicate safe harbor for filers. You also have access to the Bonafide Residence Test, which a) takes zero work to apply for, b) is rarely audited for folks like us, and c) would be trivially sustained on audit if you looked like you lived abroad. Factors strongly breaking in favor of you include that YC is for a defined fairly short duration, that your living conditions in San Fran scream "temporary accomodations during work,
not permanent residence", that you maintain your foreign residence in state with intent to return, etc.
I routinely spend two months a year in the US, and have never had a problem with the IRS over this. When I raised the issue with an accountant he bust out laughing. "Patrick, if the only refrigerator you own is in Japan and turned on right now, this is not a close call."