YC X25, the spring 2025 batch
15 comments
·January 20, 2025simonsarris
good for them but
> One of the first questions people ask when we say we are doing a spring batch is what letter we will use to refer to it since “S” is already taken for the summer batch. We considered something like “Sp” or “P” but one founder made the suggestion of using “X” since it's a common variable name in programming and thus makes sense since the name “Y Combinator” itself is a programming term.
This chain of reasoning seems totally disconnected? "While trying to come up with a single letter to denote spring, since S was taken, we decided on... a common variable name instead" ??? what happened to denoting spring in there? Am I missing some clever reference? Is spring in particular the season for common variables?
The spring constant (in physics) is denoted by the letter "k", why not use that? I know its not programming, but at least it denotes spring.
haunter
G would have made more sense
In MTG the 5 colors are white, blue, black, red, and green. WUBRG. B is already taken by black (bla > blu) so blue became U. Hence in my head logic spring should have been G (technically sp > su but no point to change summer’s S after decades)
didgeoridoo
Also the word for “of or pertaining to spring” is “vernal”, so… V? Obscure and a bit antiquated, but also technically correct (the best kind).
selimthegrim
Vernal equinox is a pretty well-known expression
throw-the-towel
Notation is ultimately arbitrary, it's just what everyone has agreed on.
(As a fun fact, Spanish has decided to use X for Wednesday because both Wednesday and Tuesday start with the same letter, M: https://www.20minutos.es/cultura/blogs/yaestaellistoquetodol...)
simonsarris
I think you may need to review what that word means in case you have an incorrect belief about its definition. Almost all notation ever created has a reason or a system, I have no idea why one would think its ultimately arbitrary (having no reason or system).
Consensus is not arbitrary either, that's a strong reason, a lack of arbitrary-ness. Even the second definition of arbitrary, something done unilaterally, is contra-consensus.
xiphias2
Z would have made more sense as a pair of the Y combinator (and the next letter).
X is jut plain boring because there's nothing theoritical behind it.
edouard-harris
X also comes right after W, just as the Spring batch will come right after the Winter batch.
enos_feedler
I would just take the opportunity to rename all batched 1,2,3,4 and call the batches yc25 etc to denote all batches in 2025 etc. who cares what season you are in at this point. But this is just me.
edoceo
What about YC25q1, YC25q2, YC25q3 and YC25q4?
ilrwbwrkhv
This is great. There is still nothing like YC. Great news for batches who get in.
triyambakam
Can YC be attended completely remotely, or which incubators can be?
neeleshs
B25 for Bloom would've been nicer
null
V25, the Vernal YC 2025 batch!