http://thielfellowship.org
I want to apply, but i need advice from someonewho went through it.
Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
1–10 of 59 posts
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#2I didn't go through it, but you should almost certainly apply. You can always decline later.
I'm too old for it, but it's basically free money. You can always return to college later if you really want to.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#3I wasn't in it myself but am friends with several who were. It seems to be absolutely worth it. As morgante said earlier, you can always turn it down.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#4Are you morally and ethically comfortable with taking money from a fascist to be a living cog in his anti-education political statement?
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#5Are you morally and ethically comfortable with taking money from a fascist to be a living cog in his anti-education political statement?
Isn't he mostly a libertarian? You can't just label all political views you don't like "fascism".
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#6The general answer to this question for any accelerator-type program is: talk with someone who went through it and you trust.
Alternatively, look at outcomes of the companies from (recent) batches, but be careful -- that can lead to attributing too much to the program vs. innate qualities of those founders.
If you can't find a connection to someone who went through it personally, try a cold email.
Many founders will give you a short call or respond to a well-written email that briefly and directly asks about their experience and recommendation if you can prove (briefly) your qualifications. If you're going to take this approach, expect to be very open with sharing details of your idea.
With the Thiel Fellowship specifically, you may consider reaching out to the founders of Sprayable Energy. They ran a successful Kickstarter campaign [I was a backer], and are pretty cool dudes.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#7Are you morally and ethically comfortable with taking money from a fascist to be a living cog in his anti-education political statement?
so I guess questioning the merits of democracy makes one a 'fascist'. there is no in-between
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#8Are you morally and ethically comfortable with taking money from a fascist to be a living cog in his anti-education political statement?
Isn't he mostly a libertarian? You can't just label all political views you don't like "fascism".
I'm not a libertarian, but I'd consider libertarianism pretty opposite to fascism.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#9These fellows are selected for high IQ will benefit either way. By virtue of his intelligence, connections, and family wealth, Bill Gates would have been successful whether he stayed in college or not.
I'm sure many of these failed fellows will go to college and resume where they left off.
Re: Ask HN: Is the Thiel Fellowship worth it?
#10I didn't go through it, but you should almost certainly apply. You can always decline later. I'm too old for it, but it's basically free money. You can always return to college later if you really want to.
> but you should almost certainly apply
Also, need to remember it adds up - YC, 500Startups, tech stars, etc. and then pondering about the results and then the sorrow phase after not being accepted.
Weigh your trade offs.