Maybe you were rejected precisely because YC wouldn't help you. I mean, if you don't need YC's money or YC's network, then what good is YC for you? They're not a long-term investor that will carry you for years. They're a short-term, get you off and moving investor. It's a great thing (wouldn't be on here if I thought otherwise), but if you've been able to get 6 customers on board without YC, what would YC give you?
I'm not trying to play down the importance of YC, it's just that its importance is specific - startups where the founders need a little capital to get their idea off the ground and not starve as they're not in a traditional job.
I'm not trying to play down the importance of YC, it's just that its importance is specific - startups where the founders need a little capital to get their idea off the ground and not starve as they're not in a traditional job.