4 ms·
If you can get it (at a fair price) and you have a plan, taking VC money will almost always be +lifeEV. It’s much better to fail big than fail small.
by rajacombinator 8y ago
If you can get it (at a fair price) and you have a plan, taking VC money will almost always be +lifeEV. It’s much better to fail big than fail small.
- icebraining 8y agoWhy?
- max76 8y agoYou gain more valuable experiences. It looks better on your resume.
- fredrivett 8y agoI would say you gain different* experiences, not necessarily more valuable. It depends on your circumstances and your goals. Hopefully my perspective on that came through in the post.
- rajacombinator 8y agoPlus if you fail big and spectacularly, you’ll always fail upwards. Fail small and no one cares. Messed up, but that’s how the world works.
- confiscate 8y agoI don't quite understand this. 2 scenarios: 1. Juicero who burned through $118 million with nothing to show for it 2. bootstrapped startup with $0 funding that made profits It sounds like you would rather be the founder of #1 and not #2? Why though
- rajacombinator 8y agoRaising $118 million and building a company of that size is a big accomplishment regardless of whether the company was a punt or not. I can assure you those guys have no shortage of lucrative post-Juicero opportunities. They’ll probably make more than the typical bootstrapper over the same time period.
- confiscate 8y agointeresting. What kind of lucrative opportunities would they have? As a fundraising-consultant? Because I am curious as well
- confiscate 8y agoif you are the founder of Juicero, who burned through $118 million with nothing to show for it, would that look better on your resume?
- slededit 8y agoSomeone who figured out how to raise $118 mln is worth something. I wouldn't let them near the engineering team, but they definitely have something to offer.
- confiscate 8y agoI am not sure what is valuable here though. It sounds like you think fundraising skills in and of itself is valuable. I guess that kind of makes sense But still, at best he can be a mentor for when you fundraise. But would you hire him or pay him, to be a fundraising consultant?
- eldavido 8y agoI'm not sure why you're getting downvoted here. This is pretty much exactly what I've observed. There is really no downside to "failure" other than lost time and a few years of your life. And if you fail big, it'll probably get acquired. That said, you shouldn't take money unless you think there's a good shot at success. I've done a VC startup and the overall hassle, stress, and lost time made me want to take a job (a good one) in preference to most things that don't seem like sure bets at the start. My company failed because we never articulated a vision bold enough to raise serious VC. I'd probably be richer if I'd taken more risk but I'm not at all sure I'd be happier.