It all depends. If you have no access otherwise to VCs, this is at least a start. Also not all associates are a waste of time, I know quite a few that have brought a deal or even two to the firm they work at in one year.

Great point. I'm in Seattle, and have good access to angels and VCs here -- but it looks different in the Bay Area; I have some Bay Area connections but am not yet at the stage where I want to call in favors. So this is a total bluebird for me.

FYI, this is the second one we've done. One of the Sigma Partners guys also volunteered their time. We should have one more on the way from a smaller fund, hopefully they won't fill up as quickly so you can grab a time slot.

Excellent promotional strategy by Simply Hours -- giving a lot of value to the community while showing the value of lightweight scheduling and getting your name out there.

Thanks for the complement!

My experience differs. Funding is a "relationship sell", and associates can be very helpful -- or not, as the case may be. For their areas of specialty, they're often more knowledgeable than partners. And it's their job to help find unexpected new deals. Oh sure, I've dealt with some bozo associates in the past, but they're the exceptions.