Given that the overwhelming majority of YC applicants are young people and that the majority of successful startups are founded by people over 35yo, I would say that getting rejected from YC means that your life is just beginning. Now you are free to go get a real job, to learn about a real industry or two, and to acquire all the skills that you need to make a real success. And when you are 40 or 50 years old, then you can make a real go at it.
Given that the overwhelming majority of YC applicants are young people and that the majority of successful startups are founded by people over 35yo, I would say that getting rejected from YC means that your life is just beginning. Now you are free to go get a real job, to learn about a real industry or two, and to acquire all the skills that you need to make a real success. And when you are 40 or 50 years old, then you can make a real go at it.