The YC Board of Overseers

[keithwarren]

What is the technical difference between board of directors and board of overseers?

[sama]

board of directors has fiduciary responsibility over an organization, usually approves management plans, determines ceo compensation, etc.

our board of overseers is modeled after what universities do. it should be much lighter touch than a board of directors.

[georgemcbay]

One sounds evil, the other sounds really evil.

[danbmil99]

Does YC also have a BOD? Doesn't the BOD in most US corps have final say over basically everything?

[presty]

Interesting that this board seems to be constitued by the founders of some of the most successful YC startups (Airbnb, Homejoy, Stripe, Dropbox, Weebly, Twitch)

[mathattack]

This is similar to universities, where most of the trustees are extremely successful former alumni. I think that's the model they're trying to follow.

[greattypo]

Very awesome. This seems like a healthy step in a direction I'm personally excited about: YC as a university (vs. YC as a mini VC).

[larrys]

"I'm personally excited about: YC as a university"

YC isn't a university (today) and I don't see a particular reason it should try to model itself in that fashion so as to draw comparisons. It's a different entity in itself and should try to foster that new category rather than try to compete in an existing category for attention and/or respect.

[sofia_]

Interesting that PG is not there.

[outside1234]

He retired, for some definition of retired. He's letting the new team run the ship. That said, I'm sure he's still virtually on the board of directors and if he really felt passionate about something that it would get done.

[jnks]

Why not call it "Board of Directors"? The word "overseer" still pretty much only refers to the middle-managers of slave plantations.

[tlb]

It's common in academic institutions. http://www.harvard.edu/board-overseers

[seeingfurther]

I think that's incorrect. Overseer is generally a term the English use when referring to administration of the poor. Not sure if it's still in use today.

Can you tell I liked me some Charles Dickens?

[EricaJoy]

This is what I thought when I saw "overseer". I would not have chosen to use that word.

[Jun8]

You may find this interesting (or not): The way the Egyptian hieroglyph for overseer as commonly written has a visual pun, and literally means "one who is in the mouth" (http://books.google.com/books?id=aroQ0Zrl8J4C&pg=PA34&lpg=PA...).

[zaidf]

Board of Directors usually meet once a month. Their job is much more than deciding to hire/fire/keep the CEO.

[thinkerer]

Agreed. Advisors would be better but perhaps they were bored at the "normal" names...

[minimaxir]

Wait, Sam Altman is both the YC president and on the Board of Overseers. If the board is responsible for both hiring/firing the president, how does that work?

[haldujai]

The same way a CEO sits on the Board of Directors which is also responsible for both hiring/firing the CEO/President. Meaning that if fired he will be removed from the board meeting and/or he will have to recuse himself from meetings discussing his role as President.

[sama]

obviously i'd recuse myself from a vote about me :) and it's a big board anyway.

[sofia_]

There are 9 people, I guess they vote, but there could be a split board about the President, hopefully that will not happen anytime soon.

[orky56]

Just curious if there is any visibly transparent process in place to add/remove members to the Board of Overseers?