Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators?

Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by auganov on Sunday September 28, 2014 @08:17AM (#8379546)

When it comes to class-B/C accelerators (not YC et al.) I'd generally completely discount the value of mentoring, their network etc. I'd just evaluate the purely financial value of both investments. And maybe just give Berlin more weight for having a better startup reputation and being closer to Poland (assuming you live there and want to stay there). If you can raise non-accelerator money at better terms consider that too.

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by MateuszMucha on Sunday September 28, 2014 @12:04PM (#8380055)

OK, so in more general terms - how do I know that an accelerator is class A/B/C?

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by auganov on Sunday September 28, 2014 @12:35PM (#8380153)

Well the whole point is unless you know they're an A you shouldn't really care about comparing them, so the investment terms and external factors are probably better indicators (like location) for making that decision.

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by MateuszMucha on Sunday September 28, 2014 @12:43PM (#8380173)

I'm not dismissing the value of mentoring that easily. Just because I don't go to the Ivy League school doesn't mean it's irrelevant which university I pick. I've spend most of the past 2 months going around and talking to as many smart people I could and it had a tremendous value for me. I greatly improved my business plans, my pitching skills and pretty much everything about my project (everything but the product itself).

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by anovikov on Sunday September 28, 2014 @10:56AM (#8379874)

Putting things that way, every accelerator outside Silicon Valley is class B at best?

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by auganov on Sunday September 28, 2014 @11:37AM (#8379988)

There's a lot of Bs and Cs in the Valley too. Techstars is arguably an A and they're in Boulder. I'm not sure about accelerators outside of the US. But yea generally I'd say anyone is B at best until proven otherwise. The distribution of successful accelerators is likely similar to that of successful startups.

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Re:Ask HN: How do I choose between 2 startup accelerators? by tlubinski on Monday September 29, 2014 @12:13AM (#8381671)

Rocket Internet in Berlin is IMHO also an A but with a questionable business model.

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