Yeah, they raise a massive round on traction from other YC companies then need to find the real Product Market Fit (enterprise and others) after that round. It's actually very inefficient
Cohorts are not 'raising massive rounds' on selling to a couple of poor YC startups that 'don't want they product but pay for it anyhow' <- the implication there is very wrong.
They're selling to people who are using their product, but probably have bit of an open mind about things, and are willing to overlook hiccups. A bit like how buyers often have a 'national preference' in some cases.
Every startup ecosystem should do this, it's probably one of the top things any system could do to try to get things going.
that's why every mayor vc firm has one datalake, one cdn, etc etc.
they know their investment will go to these, why not keep it in their own ecosystem by some verticalization?
...the absurdity with Ai is when even competitors join in