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Why does being in an accelerator pre-YC lessen your YC chances? Has anyone had similar experiences with this? Are there any YC alumni that had their company in an accelerator pre-YC?
-A fellow YC reject from a few years back
Pretty sure the reason that you didn't get into YC wasn't simply because of some binary metric like your previously going though an accelerator. Give them more credit than that and look deeper, regardless of what the email said. -A fellow YC reject from a few years back
I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through things calling themselves "accelerators" before YC.
We have a much higher threshold for startups that have already been through an "accelerator" program. Mainly because we expect them to have thereby been accelerated; if they're not doing well, we worry they might be unacceleratable. It's also a problem that such startups will be twice as diluted at Demo Day, which decreases their fundraising options. I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through thin…
We have a much higher threshold for startups that have already been through an "accelerator" program. Mainly because we expect them to have thereby been accelerated; if they're not doing well, we worry they might be unacceleratable. It's also a problem that such startups will be twice as diluted at Demo Day, which decreases their fundraising options. I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through thin…
We have a much higher threshold for startups that have already been through an "accelerator" program. Mainly because we expect them to have thereby been accelerated; if they're not doing well, we worry they might be unacceleratable. It's also a problem that such startups will be twice as diluted at Demo Day, which decreases their fundraising options. I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through thin…
If so what do you think was lacking in those two "accelerators"?
We have a much higher threshold for startups that have already been through an "accelerator" program. Mainly because we expect them to have thereby been accelerated; if they're not doing well, we worry they might be unacceleratable. It's also a problem that such startups will be twice as diluted at Demo Day, which decreases their fundraising options. I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through thin…
Does that also apply to angel/pre-seed/seed funded teams ?
We have a much higher threshold for startups that have already been through an "accelerator" program. Mainly because we expect them to have thereby been accelerated; if they're not doing well, we worry they might be unacceleratable. It's also a problem that such startups will be twice as diluted at Demo Day, which decreases their fundraising options. I can think of two startups we've funded that had been through thin…
Based on the way that's worded, is it safe to assume you hold a low opinion of the programs those two startups (FlightCar and another?) went through prior to being accepted into YC? If so what do you think was lacking in those two "accelerators"?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on the way that's worded, is it safe to assume you hold a low opinion of the programs those two startups (FlightCar and another?) went through prior to being accepted into YC? If so what do you think was lacking in those two "accelerators"?
I don't know much about either of them. There are so many of these things now. It seems like every few days I hear about another one I hadn't heard of. And I don't really know what goes on inside of any of them. Except Imagine K-12, which was started by friends of mine with my encouragement, and one of whose founders, Geoff Ralston, is also a partner at YC. IK12 is definitely good, and we recommend education startups…
I'm curious what makes them different from the others?