> More often than not most of what startups do is not unique
The message is also that if your start-up is based on deep tech moats choose another seed. (Think of YC's home runs. None had an industry secret/IP secret sauce.)
YC has only been investing in deep tech for about a decade, I'm not sure that's long enough for them to have had a home run yet.
For example, Boom Supersonic was founded 10 years ago, and just this summer completed their second test flight. They are scheduled to launch commercial operations in 2029.
Lucid bots was founded in 2018, and just did their Series A to fund their growth of their autonomous drone fleet.
I wouldn't count YC out of the deep tech game just yet.
YC's roots are definitely the software hacker/painter/kill FAANG from a coffee shop type founders, although they've shown that deep tech teams can make interesting progress without years of R&D. Finding investors that get your idea and can help with their network is paramount. YC might not be the best fit in all cases.
The message is also that if your start-up is based on deep tech moats choose another seed. (Think of YC's home runs. None had an industry secret/IP secret sauce.)