In your latest essay you mention that<p>"We take applications for funding every 6 months. Applications for the current funding cycle closed on October 17, well after the markets tanked, and even so we got a record number, up 40% from the same cycle a year before."<p>to indicate that enthusiasm for starting new startups has not dried up. I think the absolute number will not tell us the true picture about new startups. The more interesting number might be the difference in the application growth rates. Did the number of applicants grow more between Winter 06 and Winter 07 or between Winter 07 and Winter 08.<p>Thanks
PG: "Perhaps I should have added that 40% was more than applications usually go up year to year." (<a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=386730" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=386730</a>)<p>So the growth rate seems to have increased.
I guess the question I have to ask -- is this just people with no job prospects looking for a job? $1500 a month for 2 months is probably reasonably attractive right now, even if you just walk away at the end of it. As compared, to, oh, starving.