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Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

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Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#11
On interpreting feedback from investors:

"Believe the 'No', but don't believe the 'Why'...for the majority of investors, it doesn't benefit them to give the reasons, and they're a little bit afraid that if they give real feedback, the founder's going to think they're an asshole"

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#12
post #2

16:58[0]: "Unfortunately a lot of the large tech companies have extremely smart founders and they basically understand that new people like them are going to be disrupting them and they're proactively working to make sure that they can't be disrupted". Wow. [0] https://youtu.be/A35jCapHmug?t=1018

Perhaps the most important factor is that these big FAANG companies have incredible cash flow and warchests which means they can acquire any upcoming contender easily.

It's very hard for any founder to turn that down when multibillion prices are thrown around so often.

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#13

On interpreting feedback from investors: "Believe the 'No', but don't believe the 'Why'...for the majority of investors, it doesn't benefit them to give the reasons, and they're a little bit afraid that if they give real feedback, the founder's going to think they're an asshole"

This applies for many other aspects of life too.

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#14
post #2

16:58[0]: "Unfortunately a lot of the large tech companies have extremely smart founders and they basically understand that new people like them are going to be disrupting them and they're proactively working to make sure that they can't be disrupted". Wow. [0] https://youtu.be/A35jCapHmug?t=1018

Perhaps the most important factor is that these big FAANG companies have incredible cash flow and warchests which means they can acquire any upcoming contender easily. It's very hard for any founder to turn that down when multibillion prices are thrown around so often.

Now, tech is a bit like pharma. The big companies work like investment funds and buy any promising upstart to maintain an oligopoly.

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#15
post #2

16:58[0]: "Unfortunately a lot of the large tech companies have extremely smart founders and they basically understand that new people like them are going to be disrupting them and they're proactively working to make sure that they can't be disrupted". Wow. [0] https://youtu.be/A35jCapHmug?t=1018

How much innovative, disruptive tech has never become reality because powerful tech companies acquihires all of their smartest competitors and gives them cushy jobs?

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#16

On interpreting feedback from investors: "Believe the 'No', but don't believe the 'Why'...for the majority of investors, it doesn't benefit them to give the reasons, and they're a little bit afraid that if they give real feedback, the founder's going to think they're an asshole"

In my experience (which is very limited to be honest) I don't think you really need to worry about believing the "No" because VCs don't like to say no. You need to worry about believing the "Yes, but not just yet" because it's not really a yes.

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#19
post #16

On interpreting feedback from investors: "Believe the 'No', but don't believe the 'Why'...for the majority of investors, it doesn't benefit them to give the reasons, and they're a little bit afraid that if they give real feedback, the founder's going to think they're an asshole"

In my experience (which is very limited to be honest) I don't think you really need to worry about believing the "No" because VCs don't like to say no. You need to worry about believing the "Yes, but not just yet " because it's not really a yes.

agreed, I never believe a yes until the money is in the bank.

Re: Y Combinator's Essential Startup Advice – Michael Seibel [video]

#20
post #15
post #2

16:58[0]: "Unfortunately a lot of the large tech companies have extremely smart founders and they basically understand that new people like them are going to be disrupting them and they're proactively working to make sure that they can't be disrupted". Wow. [0] https://youtu.be/A35jCapHmug?t=1018

How much innovative, disruptive tech has never become reality because powerful tech companies acquihires all of their smartest competitors and gives them cushy jobs?

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