Re:RejectedByYc.com - For those of us who didn't make the cut.
by nostrademons on Tuesday April 24, 2007 @11:41AM
(#16342)
"This setup is difficult to replicate because not only do you need the right people, you need the right money, and the right money and the right people."
I'm not really trying to replicate YC. As you mention, there's already Techstars, Highland, and YEurope for that, and any attempt to replicate YCombinator runs up against the fact that they're simply better at what they do. Heck, even if this site was successful, I'd still probably prefer YC funding.
However, YC doesn't scale. So there are hundreds, probably thousands of other startups out there with worthy ideas that won't make the cut. Simply because it's a numbers game.
Some of those are going to start up anyway, and probably apply either to a later YC round or to local angels. That's our plan, for our "real" startup. But many more of them will give up because they think nobody's watching and nobody cares. I don't think that's a reflection on their character, I think it's the rational thing to do. Thing is, everybody loses out because those startups don't get started.
So the goal here is to provide an environment where the 90% of us who don't get YC/Techstars/YEurope funding continue with our startups, and have something we can show local angel groups. As I understand it, the main problem facing angels is they're afraid founders will give up and send the angel's money down the tubes. This would give founders a place to develop and test their ideas in the critical probably-a-flop-but-could-be-useful stage before taking it to an angel.
I'm not really trying to replicate YC. As you mention, there's already Techstars, Highland, and YEurope for that, and any attempt to replicate YCombinator runs up against the fact that they're simply better at what they do. Heck, even if this site was successful, I'd still probably prefer YC funding.
However, YC doesn't scale. So there are hundreds, probably thousands of other startups out there with worthy ideas that won't make the cut. Simply because it's a numbers game.
Some of those are going to start up anyway, and probably apply either to a later YC round or to local angels. That's our plan, for our "real" startup. But many more of them will give up because they think nobody's watching and nobody cares. I don't think that's a reflection on their character, I think it's the rational thing to do. Thing is, everybody loses out because those startups don't get started.
So the goal here is to provide an environment where the 90% of us who don't get YC/Techstars/YEurope funding continue with our startups, and have something we can show local angel groups. As I understand it, the main problem facing angels is they're afraid founders will give up and send the angel's money down the tubes. This would give founders a place to develop and test their ideas in the critical probably-a-flop-but-could-be-useful stage before taking it to an angel.