Incubators are a Ghetto
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Incubators are a Ghetto
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Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#2So am I to understand that the new easy way to success in blog writing is to a) steal someone else's once-popular catchphrase b) avoid doing any real research or "naming names" c) asskiss those names whom you've actually become acquainted with d) offer unsolicited, unobjective and unhelpful advice and e) profit?
Only travel writers are lazier.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#3So am I to understand that the new easy way to success in blog writing is to a) steal someone else's once-popular catchphrase b) avoid doing any real research or "naming names" c) asskiss those names whom you've actually become acquainted with d) offer unsolicited, unobjective and unhelpful advice and e) profit? Only travel writers are lazier.
a) once popular catch phrase? because of Zed? granted it's hyperbolic and cliche, but most titles are, by design
b) If you want to discuss in private, I can give names and numbers. There are real people with real feelings and real money involved.
c) you have no idea what you are talking about
d) love to see a critique or counterpoints with any substance
e) share and share alike
I'm many things, but lazy isn't one.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#4I think you are missing two crucial pieces of the puzzle. The 3 months sprint and peer support. Those are the biggest outcome of an incubator. You work your ass off for 3 months to sprint towards a product while helping your peers with their sprints. This can be done without an incubator of course but incubator atmosphere keeps you going.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#5I doubt the real value of an incubator is in helping you with the product, or helping you build some people want and other people will fund. I do not even think they can.
The value, today, is in the cachet. Being funded by YC, for example, will probably get you more press, funding, and maybe even a larger exit.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#6I'm not sure which incubators you are talking about. This post seems like more of a rant than a productive analysis. I have seen some indications that there are too many seed-stage companies right now, but I'm not sure if any one incubator can be blamed for this.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#7I'm not sure which incubators you are talking about. This post seems like more of a rant than a productive analysis. I have seen some indications that there are too many seed-stage companies right now, but I'm not sure if any one incubator can be blamed for this.
The entrepreneurial world is small. Its not the kind of thing where you (should) name names. That said, he raises some good issues that I think most of us have definitely seen.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#8As someone who just finished an incubator program (http://piepdx.com) and thoroughly enjoyed it, I tend to agree. As AngelList explodes and traditional venture capital contracts (or the bubble bursts entirely), I would love to see more "incubator" programs that take very little or no equity and essentially function more as filtered coworking spaces. I think we're already seeing that with places like Dogpatch and General Assembly in NYC.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#9Funding doesn't equal success, it's simply a longer runway to failure. That said, what would be more telling is data about how many companies last and are able to build something compelling or sustain any kind of growth, compared to how much money they raised (if any).
Just because a program doesn't have successful entrepreneurs running it doesn't mean they're companies are doomed to fail. It all comes down to picking the right companies and the right markets to chase. If I were building an enterprise-oriented SaaS product, it may make sense to join an incubator/accelerator where the mentors have deep enterprise sales experience from an enterprise company.
Re: Incubators are a Ghetto
#10I think you are missing two crucial pieces of the puzzle. The 3 months sprint and peer support. Those are the biggest outcome of an incubator. You work your ass off for 3 months to sprint towards a product while helping your peers with their sprints. This can be done without an incubator of course but incubator atmosphere keeps you going.
I agree that is very valuable, and there are other valuable aspects of the incubator experience that are omitted as well.
This schedule pressure and the support of colleagues can contribute to successfully creating a fundable opportunity.
I'm just saying that results should be the measure. Fundable and funded, and if that's not happening, the incubator is not working. Further, I put that result more on the program than the participants.