Ask HN: Sell my startup for $14M because I can't raise $2M?

I'd suggest 2 things:

1) Have you incorporated the buyout offers into your deck? Showing that other companies recognize your company's potential even in its early stages should make a positive difference in communicating value. Consider having another go at fundraising and use resources like AngelList and FB groups related to your space to help with identifying investors and getting intros.

2) Research and Apply to YC - By "research", I mean pre-screen by contacting a few partners to ensure the investor contacts relevant to your company type, stage and size are available; and that investment terms would be and whether they're amenable to you (since your company is more advanced than the typical entrants, the standard 120k-for-7% shouldn't apply).

> I've failed hard here. I'm open for advice.

I would suggest that you have not failed if you have an offer to buy your startup for $14m.

Not everyone is Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, or Jeff Bezos. That's OK.

+1

I think people don't recognize how "little" money you need to replicate a big salary. 14M at 3% is $420k/yr. And as long as you don't spend every last dollar, that number keeps going up...forever.

Build whatever you want at that point.

Sell and build it again.

Once you sell to one company, the other enterprise companies are going to be looking for alternative. Who wants their competitor to control their destiny? Top this off with enterprise tendency to simply kill anything they acquire, and you can probably cycle this 2 or 3 times.

Presumably you'll be able to build the company even faster this time around.

I see RF wireless startups do this over and over.

If raising funding would help you help your customers and grow exponentially AND you like what you do, don't even think of giving up. Stay strong. Fundraising is not easy and it takes a lot of dedicated effort to make it happen. I have been through it thrice. Each time is the same - hard.