Just to play smartypants, small teams are the ones that can afford loose deadlines for the gain in versatility. You have to agree that YC's program schedule results in better resource management, is needed, and so, your claim of "never setting deadlines" as a general statement is false. To make it true, you would need to accept applicants off the timetable. (Actually, how much was the YC program schedule influenced by university calendars?)
As a personal statement though, I totally agree. Assuming a startup team or artist isn't starving, not setting deadlines makes total sense. I remember somebody in high school was required to build up a portfolio of artwork during the semester. It's a rather preposterous requirement, because if there is no inspiration, there is no art. Churning out a portfolio of unimpressive drawings is easy, but nothing is genuine. Alas, people who operate off of schedules cannot accommodate the uncertainty. Universities, for example.
Hell, if I owned a school, I'd try to recruit good students whenever they appear, any time of the year. If you can finish a course in one day, great. If it takes you 10 semesters, great, as long as it's worth it.
As a personal statement though, I totally agree. Assuming a startup team or artist isn't starving, not setting deadlines makes total sense. I remember somebody in high school was required to build up a portfolio of artwork during the semester. It's a rather preposterous requirement, because if there is no inspiration, there is no art. Churning out a portfolio of unimpressive drawings is easy, but nothing is genuine. Alas, people who operate off of schedules cannot accommodate the uncertainty. Universities, for example.
Hell, if I owned a school, I'd try to recruit good students whenever they appear, any time of the year. If you can finish a course in one day, great. If it takes you 10 semesters, great, as long as it's worth it.