Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–199 of 199 posts

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#191

Post by intended »

wheels wrote: post #93
sushrutbidwai wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most things I learnt about my own business had been through quality meetings with quality investors who can ask really good questions. At least from first set of investors, thats what I look for the most rather than money. Having said so I do see your point as well and we can just agree to disagree.

Just because you want smart money doesn't mean you should refuse free money. If an angel were looking at a team that didn't take this money, they'd have to wonder if they were competent enough to run a business.

I'd say free money is more corrosive - yes in the hands of some (some is relative) it will be useful. In the hands of others will let them walk down a bad path longer.

For analogy, I'd use the resource curse. Countries which should theoretically be paradises are not, because their natural resources prop up bad economics and bad governance.

As always, its an opinion. I guess a data driven answer would depend on the contra event of what these companies would have done if they weren't offered the money.

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#192

Post by intended »

wheels wrote: post #93
sushrutbidwai wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most things I learnt about my own business had been through quality meetings with quality investors who can ask really good questions. At least from first set of investors, thats what I look for the most rather than money. Having said so I do see your point as well and we can just agree to disagree.

Just because you want smart money doesn't mean you should refuse free money. If an angel were looking at a team that didn't take this money, they'd have to wonder if they were competent enough to run a business.

I'd say free money is more corrosive - yes in the hands of some (some is relative) it will be useful. In the hands of others will let them walk down a bad path longer.

For analogy, I'd use the resource curse. Countries which should theoretically be paradises are not, because their natural resources prop up bad economics and bad governance.

As always, its an opinion. I guess a data driven answer would depend on the contra event of what these companies would have done if they weren't offered the money.

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#193

Post by edge17 »

dave1619 wrote: post #73
DevX101 wrote: post #37

For all the talk from U.S. politicians about encouraging innovation, it takes the Russian to come here and put his money where his mouth is.

And it helps when your investment company now owns 10% of Facebook. Smart guy who takes bold risks.

I'm tempted to say 150k is not a bold risk for this guy. Neither is 150k * 50. Small cost to expand your portfolio... and you just need one homerun.

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#194

Post by JoeAltmaier »

justin wrote: post #171
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hm. There are folks still using the 'old-fashioned' model of fundraising manually, building a team, honing a product and going to market. YC may be the best deal for a crew of wet-behind-the-ears startup virgins, I'll grant that.

That was a trollish comment but I'll bite. 150k is not going to get a company very far, and certainly not far enough to reinvent the startup model completely. Building a team is still a critical part of building a YC (or any other) company, as is honing a product and bringing it to market (which is primarily what they help you do). Saying that those things aren't part of the YC model just because you get some extra f…

Hm. 150K is going to get a company, lets see, 10 times as far as $15K? Probably not, but its certainly going to get it something, and fundraising is going to be an order less critical for the duration.

The YC model is something like this: Founders are recruited, then weeks are spent building a prototype whilst attending dinners/lectures about the next step: fundraising.

YC is out of the picture once teambuilding, product honing begins. Its explicitely NOT part of the YC experience. As I understand it.

To expand on my 1st remark: the shoestring bootstrap model is just one; others solicit Angels to fund development in a more structured manner. The reasons to bootstrap are usually, you are not known and cannot convince Angels to cough up. If for instance you have a success behind you, it may be possible to dispense with the grinding poverty phase.

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#195

Post by mkramlich »

rudiger wrote: post #136
mkramlich wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

maybe now we need a YC for new YC's

How many thousands of people apply for YC every year? Someone should offer a service: $500 to prepare you for a successful YC application.

good idea. a sort of pre-YC. could be worth it now that every YC alumni is basically guaranteed a $160k+ investment. (forgot offhand how much YC itself gives)

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#196

Post by thetable »

realitygrill wrote: post #184
justin wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I first got into Y Combinator, our company with two founders straight out of college with no prior software engineering or startup experience and a prototype calendar demo was valued at 300k. We were ecstatic. That was the best deal I've ever been offered in my life.

I don't think I've ever heard the Kiko backstory (before justin.tv), and I hope you guys tell it sometime.

http://areallybadidea.com/34320844

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#197

Post by beagle3 »

ssebro wrote: post #181
beagle3 wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the talent appears randomly That's a pretty strong statement, but even if we take it as an axiom, I think that it isn't migration that concentrates it -- people migrate from everywhere to everywhere all the time. I think it has more to do with having gone through some hardship, and (selection bias) having done so successfully, makes people better at taking risks. There's a statistic that says that a huge number (te…

I think you missed the point- he meant that the fact that you were able to immigrate probably means that you're not the average person. He's right- immigration is much easier if you're rich, smart or both. Also, I'm offended by your last sentence. You've obviously not immigrated to america recently. I have, and it wasn't easy, nor was it cheap.

As a matter of fact, I did. It's not easy, it's far from cheap, but having gone through all of that, another move -- at least to an English speaking country -- is comparatively trivial to what I've thought about it before.

And if you take offence at random remarks by strangers on the internet, you should have a long talk with yourself.

Re: Yuri Milner, SV Angel Offer Every New Y Combinator Startup $150k

#199

Post by spreety »

spreety wrote: post #198
ssclafani wrote: post #8

Congrats to YC and all of the startups. Sadly, I can already hear the chants of "Bubble!".

http://www.spreety.com/ - The television guide for free tv online, free movies online, news, sports, music and more.

Free" rel="nofollow">http://www.spreety.com/>Free Tv Shows - The television guide for free tv online, free movies online, news, sports, music and more.
Post reply on HN