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You don't even need to be in Silicon Valley. I've gone thru the process there and in Seattle. Its not hard to get funding... if you know what you're doing.

by BitGeek 19y ago

You don't even need to be in Silicon Valley. I've gone thru the process there and in Seattle. Its not hard to get funding... if you know what you're doing. The replies on slashdot disagreed with YC ideology, but that does not make them pure garbage. Slashdot is read by an older (more experienced) crowd than news.yc. It would be a good idea to understand some of where they are coming from-- after all they were around during the last boom when the average YC foundre was not yet a teen! People whose business it is to fund companies are always lookng for good companies. IF the person who is looking to invest is a good person-- then you will have no trouble getting in touch with them-- if your idea is good. People who don't quite know how to start a business may need coaching before they can communicate... and remember, of course that %95 of the people who represent VC funds in the Bay Area (and anywhere else) are flatline idiots. so, think of it as a test of their intelligence, whether they get your idea, rather then your worth. Also it seems to be common that people think that "connections" are important-- they aren't. Not at all. You often hear the advice "get someone who knows them to introduce you"... that's if you're chasing money. But don't chase money. Build your think, network with your peers, and the money will chase you. Because your peers will say "damn that's cool" and the money will hear it. Hell... why do you think VC firms hire all the MBA fools from HARVARD who know nothing about technology and whose only education at harvard was doing lines of coke off the bellies of hookers? their only purpose is to find deals.

blakesouthwood 19y ago
I disagree. I think that it's who you know. http://siliconvalleystartupjournal.blogspot.com/ http://siliconvalleystartupjournal.blogspot.com/
- staunch 19y ago
  I don't know a lot about getting funded but I know posting a snippet of information on your blog (for two companies no less) and then spamming the URL is not likely to be very fruitful. Have you considered a picking a single idea then creating a prototype, web site, and full pitch? Investors like that kind of stuff.
- BitGeek 19y ago
  No. If you happen to know someone with a lot of money and, much more importantly, they know you well enough to know your trustworthy, you can often get a nice deal early in the life of your startup. But this is not-- by a long shot-- how most startups become successful. And one thing I've learned in the last 20 years-- the people who are worth knowing-- the really valuable ones-- they are approachable. You don't need someone to make an introduction to them. Universally people who make their living as middlement and introduction brokers are people who are selling you something you could get for free, and undermining your ability to use it at the same time (because they are selling it to others as well-- making their introduction less valuable than contacting the person cold.)
staunch 19y ago
So what you're saying is that you'll get funding for your idea if it's good and if you're good and if the VCs are good. Not the most helpful counterpoint to the list of proven YC/angel benefits. Instead of just saying it's "not hard" why don't you provide some actual instruction? Tell us what "...if you know what you're doing" really means in practical terms. The reason for getting assistance from YC/angels is that they're generally great hackers themselves. They're holding the private VC club door open for other great hackers, and they don't care how slick you are (when you come to them). They're reputation-based sponsors to VCs.
SwellJoe 19y ago
BitGeek has a few valid points, but they're hidden amongst so much vague muck, that I'm not sure it's wise to try to follow it as advice. So, the primary bit worth really noting: "Build your think" (I'll assume "think" was intended as "thing".) This is the "build something people want" of the YC model. There's nothing better you can do if you want funding than to build something people want. It's possible to get funding for things people don't want, but much harder, and why bother? Get to the point where you're sure people want it, before trying to get big funding (big being anything over $50k). You'll be in a stronger position in negotiations, and you'll be able to choose from good investors. "network with your peers" This is the weekly dinners part of the YC model, and I believe it was more useful to us than all of the other great stuff that YC brought to us (and I frequently say so). If there were a "technical startup founders club" that existed in some startup hub, and had some kind of barrier to entry akin to the YC application process, I believe it would produce nearly as many good businesses as Y Combinator. You need the barrier to entry, because business idiots flock to events that have lots of hackers looking to start businesses, hoping to find someone to implement their killer idea. They end up making it a useless business card exchange--I noticed this at quite a few of the more open YC events and meetup type things around YC--hackers are shy, and so the business idiots end up doing all the talking, and the hackers just kind of stand around being assaulted by the loud jackasses with killer ideas. Without the seriously smart hackers and designers-only rule, there's no value. Even without the money or Paul Graham, this kind of weekly event would product great results. "Slashdot is read by an older (more experienced) crowd than news.yc. It would be a good idea to understand some of where they are coming from-- after all they were around during the last boom when the average YC foundre was not yet a teen!" On this bit, well, I'm kind of stunned as how much the trolls have taken over Slashdot in the past couple of years. I've been a slashdot reader since it was chips and dips (yeah, I'm old), and it was once a place where people starting companies would get a warm reception and reasonably good advice. The remaining old-timers seem to be just bitter about failed ventures during and in the aftermath of the boom...that's not wisdom. Take note that I've founded a Y Combinator company, and I'm also one of those Slashdot old-timers of which you speak (hopefully, having the experience needed to make rational judgment calls on these issues), and I found little but trolling on that thread, which is was I felt compelled to respond.
- 19y ago

by BitGeek 19y ago

blakesouthwood 19y ago

I disagree. I think that it's who you know. http://siliconvalleystartupjournal.blogspot.com/ http://siliconvalleystartupjournal.blogspot.com/

staunch 19y ago
I don't know a lot about getting funded but I know posting a snippet of information on your blog (for two companies no less) and then spamming the URL is not likely to be very fruitful. Have you considered a picking a single idea then creating a prototype, web site, and full pitch? Investors like that kind of stuff.
BitGeek 19y ago
No. If you happen to know someone with a lot of money and, much more importantly, they know you well enough to know your trustworthy, you can often get a nice deal early in the life of your startup. But this is not-- by a long shot-- how most startups become successful. And one thing I've learned in the last 20 years-- the people who are worth knowing-- the really valuable ones-- they are approachable. You don't need someone to make an introduction to them. Universally people who make their living as middlement and introduction brokers are people who are selling you something you could get for free, and undermining your ability to use it at the same time (because they are selling it to others as well-- making their introduction less valuable than contacting the person cold.)

staunch 19y ago

So what you're saying is that you'll get funding for your idea if it's good and if you're good and if the VCs are good. Not the most helpful counterpoint to the list of proven YC/angel benefits. Instead of just saying it's "not hard" why don't you provide some actual instruction? Tell us what "...if you know what you're doing" really means in practical terms. The reason for getting assistance from YC/angels is that they're generally great hackers themselves. They're holding the private VC club door open for other great hackers, and they don't care how slick you are (when you come to them). They're reputation-based sponsors to VCs.

SwellJoe 19y ago

BitGeek has a few valid points, but they're hidden amongst so much vague muck, that I'm not sure it's wise to try to follow it as advice. So, the primary bit worth really noting: "Build your think" (I'll assume "think" was intended as "thing".) This is the "build something people want" of the YC model. There's nothing better you can do if you want funding than to build something people want. It's possible to get funding for things people don't want, but much harder, and why bother? Get to the point where you're sure people want it, before trying to get big funding (big being anything over $50k). You'll be in a stronger position in negotiations, and you'll be able to choose from good investors. "network with your peers" This is the weekly dinners part of the YC model, and I believe it was more useful to us than all of the other great stuff that YC brought to us (and I frequently say so). If there were a "technical startup founders club" that existed in some startup hub, and had some kind of barrier to entry akin to the YC application process, I believe it would produce nearly as many good businesses as Y Combinator. You need the barrier to entry, because business idiots flock to events that have lots of hackers looking to start businesses, hoping to find someone to implement their killer idea. They end up making it a useless business card exchange--I noticed this at quite a few of the more open YC events and meetup type things around YC--hackers are shy, and so the business idiots end up doing all the talking, and the hackers just kind of stand around being assaulted by the loud jackasses with killer ideas. Without the seriously smart hackers and designers-only rule, there's no value. Even without the money or Paul Graham, this kind of weekly event would product great results. "Slashdot is read by an older (more experienced) crowd than news.yc. It would be a good idea to understand some of where they are coming from-- after all they were around during the last boom when the average YC foundre was not yet a teen!" On this bit, well, I'm kind of stunned as how much the trolls have taken over Slashdot in the past couple of years. I've been a slashdot reader since it was chips and dips (yeah, I'm old), and it was once a place where people starting companies would get a warm reception and reasonably good advice. The remaining old-timers seem to be just bitter about failed ventures during and in the aftermath of the boom...that's not wisdom. Take note that I've founded a Y Combinator company, and I'm also one of those Slashdot old-timers of which you speak (hopefully, having the experience needed to make rational judgment calls on these issues), and I found little but trolling on that thread, which is was I felt compelled to respond.

19y ago