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Just made the jump myself, my experience with NYC was similar. Also, NYC has like 3 big VCs: Union Square Ventures, Union Square Ventures and Union Square Vent

Just made the jump myself, my experience with NYC was similar. Also, NYC has like 3 big VCs: Union Square Ventures, Union Square Ventures and Union Square Ventures. So you really just have to stop pretending and get in front of Silicon Valley VC firms that all have a variety of different interests and objectives. They also don't want to talk to anybody not in SV.

mattzito 10y ago
I don't think your perspective is valid anymore - in the mid-2000s USV was the only game in town, but today there's probably 5-10 good size NYC-based VCs focusing on tech, tons of little firms (<$100m funds), and many other SV firms with a NYC presence, and then the whole second order of NYC investors in PE or funded from a vertical perspective (like real estate investments, etc.).
- cloudjacker 10y ago
  Just look at the funding numbers between different areas. NYC still pales from an infrastructure perspective and general mentality of paying it forward, compared to SV.
  - mattzito 10y ago
    Oh sure, I'm not trying to compare NYC vs. SV directly, SV is clearly an order of magnitude larger. I was just comparing fundraising in NYC today vs. 10 years ago, and it's lightyears different. I can tell you from working with VCs, the whole attitude towards nyc startups is very different. As far as the general mentality of paying it forward goes, I've got a healthy sense of cynicism towards that (maybe it's the new yorker in me). I find successful individuals are equally supportive here as in the bay area, but in NYC there's a lot less of the ridiculous hustler optimism that technology can cure all ills, and fewer ridiculous startups get funded out here. But sure, yes, SV is much bigger than NYC, that's not in doubt.
- jba 10y ago
  Yeah, a lot of big bay-area and boston funds now have NYC offices too. General Catalyst - mentioned as being based in Cambridge in the article has an office on Lafayette street in NYC now with a couple of partners in it. This has changed the funding game more than the homegrown VC's (USV, as an example).

mattzito 10y ago

I don't think your perspective is valid anymore - in the mid-2000s USV was the only game in town, but today there's probably 5-10 good size NYC-based VCs focusing on tech, tons of little firms (<$100m funds), and many other SV firms with a NYC presence, and then the whole second order of NYC investors in PE or funded from a vertical perspective (like real estate investments, etc.).

cloudjacker 10y ago
Just look at the funding numbers between different areas. NYC still pales from an infrastructure perspective and general mentality of paying it forward, compared to SV.
- mattzito 10y ago
  Oh sure, I'm not trying to compare NYC vs. SV directly, SV is clearly an order of magnitude larger. I was just comparing fundraising in NYC today vs. 10 years ago, and it's lightyears different. I can tell you from working with VCs, the whole attitude towards nyc startups is very different. As far as the general mentality of paying it forward goes, I've got a healthy sense of cynicism towards that (maybe it's the new yorker in me). I find successful individuals are equally supportive here as in the bay area, but in NYC there's a lot less of the ridiculous hustler optimism that technology can cure all ills, and fewer ridiculous startups get funded out here. But sure, yes, SV is much bigger than NYC, that's not in doubt.
jba 10y ago
Yeah, a lot of big bay-area and boston funds now have NYC offices too. General Catalyst - mentioned as being based in Cambridge in the article has an office on Lafayette street in NYC now with a couple of partners in it. This has changed the funding game more than the homegrown VC's (USV, as an example).