Don't forget angel investors. Not easy to get, but then again neither is venture funding. You can often raise enough for a YC-style startup - I know an entrepre

Don't forget angel investors. Not easy to get, but then again neither is venture funding. You can often raise enough for a YC-style startup - I know an entrepreneur who raised over $4M from angels and no institutional funding. The upside of this approach is that it may open other paths to success. A VC is likely going to push you to go big big big. Angels are more likely to be happy with a modest success.