I think YC was bound to attract clones, although I don't think it was bound to attract clones quite this clonelike. YC has created a new investment stage, and a new niche for investment companies (which is to say, the seed-funding-plus-advice niche), and I don't think it's particularly surprising that there are more companies entering that market. I would bet that YC is going to be a bit like the Sequoia of seed/advice firms, and that most other such firms will enter the market because they see YC's success, fail to make money, but continue to operate, much like most VCs don't make money.
