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Astounding strategic play from YC here. Start up School has become popular enough to be viable as a social network. Imagine a VC having a live and data rich dir
by benjaminjosephw 6y ago
Astounding strategic play from YC here. Start up School has become popular enough to be viable as a social network. Imagine a VC having a live and data rich directory of most investment hungry early stage tech startups where that startup has shared its progress from the earliest stages of its development. What an incredible advantage that is as a VC firm. Even though I love YC, I find that idea quite worrying.
I've been through SUS and I really valued it. It's great content and some of the discussions were really valuable. I think it's fair to say, though, that the content is very opinionated. I understand why - it's trying to prepare people to apply to YC and YC have a particular way of doing things. I think that's fine. My worry is that the reach of YC on the broader tech start-up culture is so broad now (and getting broader) that these opinions and ideas become broadly accepted norms. When that happens, people stop recognising the fact that there could be a choice to make and we loose the diversity and richness of other opinions and ideas.
Here's an example: everyone knows that the only place to incorporate a company is in the state of Delaware. Creating something in your local region is out of the question, not because you've reasoned well about the pros and cons but because the culture has a generally accepted answer.
I think if we don't have diverse views and perspectives on what's possible and what kind of companies we should be creating, we'll end up with more of the same. That's a winning formula for YC but a bad one for culture as a whole.
We don't need one VC that dominates the early stage market. We need competition to keep the ecosystem healthy. Maybe what we really need is the other VCs, bootstrappers, open-source foundations and NGOs to get into the startup education/social network business too.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- Invictus0 6y agoThe whole notion of startups is new ideas disrupting entrenched stalwarts. If it turns that there is a way to do things outside YC dogma, I'm sure a new VC will come along and disrupt them too.
- verdverm 6y agoI honestly like it far less now that it has been continuous for many months. Far less participation that made the semi annual so great. Probably leaving soon myself... it's been fun
- M5x7wI3CmbEem10 6y agodo you have any info on the Delaware vs your home state debate?
- benjaminjosephw 6y agoShould companies should be founded wherever the financial and legal friction is lowest or are there other important factors? What about the social responsibility a company has towards the community, city and even country that that company was created in? I think there are a number of factors to consider here which will be specific to each individual context but just pointing out that the answer is only obvious if you've already decided what the important considerations are. VCs will always have a bias towards ruthless efficency but founders need to be more thoughtful. Not every decision is about the bottom line.
- brainless 6y agoI really loved reading this. I am a veteran failure for lack of a better phrase and I am trying again. I have been in mental burn out for years primarily because I was chasing leaders. After going through counseling, I figured I still want to build something and I want to gobble up advice, but I ponder on them and see if they fit my lifestyle. I am nomadic now (Asia but could be anywhere) and want to stay indie (bootstrapped, perhaps angel investment). I can not give into the pressure that YC lectures sometime make me feel. I am happy and for the first time I am on a product where I just got two clients (first time in my life, 14 years professional experience). Startup School has incredible value and I will take out what I need out of it. I will incorporate where I want and am happy if YC does not care. Find your own way, I know I want to.