Much of our research has been with founders at YC & 500 (cohorts who represent the Beyond Meats of the world). The majority we spoke to, including the breakout unicorns, stated they would have have participated in equity pooling with their batchmates during the batch. We also learned the darlings of their batch were often not the breakout successes, and later upstaged by others in the batch.
I actually had exactly this idea with my YC knock-off, HMC INQ.
The first cohort (5 cos in 2017) I offered them to all pool some of their equity. But first I polled how much each would be willing to give. The results were 0%, 0%, 2%, 5%, and 20%.
So, I abandoned it. Ironically the one that offered 20% is doing the best so far.
Maybe, just may be a realistic assessment of the chances of success is an under appreciated entrepreneurial trait.
Maybe this trait can co-exist independently with the ability to forge ahead DESPITE knowing how low the odds are, because you want to see something happen.
Maybe it is that silicon valley groks this as "an irrational belief" when in fact, it is the compulsion to forge ahead despite knowing the odds.
