Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, what is it?

Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by wheels on Friday July 17, 2009 @05:22AM (#709548)

I've said it before, but I don't understand why firms trying something YC-like don't try to differentiate themselves more. The accelerator for mobile, the accelerator for B2B / SaaS, etc. It would seem easier to differentiate yourself from YC along industry rather than geographic lines (assuming you're not crossing a national border).

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Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by HeyLaughingBoy on Friday July 17, 2009 @12:23PM (#710194)

This is exactly what I thought when reading the OP's post.

A Y-Combinator clone that specialized in industrial hardware or medical devices. Man, my brain would be in warp speed. I work for a medical device manufacturer but for all my experience, would never think of doing a product in this field because of the huge financial and regulatory hurdles. If yc-type guidance were available, I'd be going over ever problem I know of in this field to figure out if I could do a startup to solve it!

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Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by pclark on Friday July 17, 2009 @10:58AM (#709988)

the added advantage of a "vertical incubator" is that all the companies could compliment each other.

an example of this on a far more grander scale is betaworks

the pain point is the amount of possible overlap.

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Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by jedc on Friday July 17, 2009 @05:54AM (#709578)

Interesting... particularly as it's probably easier to build sufficient expertise in a vertical outside the normal geographies. The question to me is how many of these kinds of startups need seed-level funding versus proper VC funding? I honestly don't know.

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Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by oldgregg on Friday July 17, 2009 @06:22AM (#709606)

Good point. Some of this probably already happens, it's just more informal... New York, ad/media. Washington, politics/government. Nashville, healthcare. Seattle, hipster music start-ups & social networks for cutters. :)

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Re:Ask HN: Copying Y Combinator - If there's a right way, wh... by nedwin on Friday July 17, 2009 @08:54AM (#709754)

Let me know if you find an accelerator for SaaS

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