Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies • Hacker News Board

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#41

Post by Hitchhiker » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 6:18 AM UTC

samstave wrote: post #39

Hitchhiker wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me be a little less polite than PG VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Cold calling any of them will not work. Heck even intros from the highest level are not treated that nicely if you're a first time guy. Best…

> VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? Why have a blackhole at all? Why be so un-innovative? Sure, it will cost you money - but if you claim that this is the reason for NOT…

>>Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then?

Think incubators like yC and others are already onto this.

>>Paradigm shift, we need it.

Perhaps, maybe there is someone like that with the time at hand.

A singular paradigm shift as defined by Kuhn et.al., strictly speaking, would perhaps take half or quarter of a lifetime of effort.

Most entrepreneurs would want to invest that energy into building their companies, not involved with too much political muck.

VCs / institutional folks are functionally services. Its like a 7 star hotel, there are some people who can afford to stay there. Some can even afford a presidential suite. They don't give a hoot about those that cannot pay the tab.. mostly because they are fielding all the demand they can get .. and have no time for anyone's feelings.

You have a better chance of getting empathy from groups like yC than VC.

" Idolatry is the name of the error which attributes a sacred character to the collectivity; and it is the commonest of crimes, at all times, at all places. "[1]

" In particular, the modern factory reaches perhaps almost the limits of horror. Everybody in it is constantly harassed and kept on the edge by the interference of extraneous wills while the soul is left in cold and desolate misery. What a man needs is silence and warmth; what he is given is an icy pandemonium "[1]

[1] - http://www.amazon.com/Simone-Weil-Anthology/dp/0802137296

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#42

Post by west1737 » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 6:42 AM UTC

samstave wrote: post #38

pg wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't you do the same thing when you get emails offering you amazing business opportunities? As a general rule, no VC firm will respond to a cold email. You need an intro from someone they know. Your best bet is to try to get an intro from someone at a company they've invested in.

> Don't you do the same thing when you get emails offering you amazing business opportunities? Isn't this the exact business that VCs are in? Identifying amazing offers? You make the claim as if VCs are not in the business of looking for amazing deals, vs everyone else who is in infinite other businesses... Yeah, there is the rule that intros are best - but still, why try to architect vision and innovation out of the…

Yea, but everyone thinks they have an "amazing idea". That just comes with the territory of being an entrepreneur. If you can't get out there and convince others of your idea (via intros, YC, products, whatever...), then you'll most likely have trouble executing on even the best idea.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#43

Post by samstave » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 6:43 AM UTC

Hitchhiker wrote: post #41

samstave wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? Why have a blackhole at all? Why be so un-innovative? Sure, it will cost you money - but if you claim that this is the reason for NOT…

>>Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? Think incubators like yC and others are already onto this. >>Paradigm shift, we need it. Perhaps, maybe there is someone like that with the time at hand. A singular paradigm shift as defined by Kuhn et.al., strictly speaking, would perhaps take half or quarter of a lifetime of effort. Most entrepreneurs would want to invest that energy into building their companies, not…

>>>>Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? >>Think incubators like yC and others are already onto this.

Did this not get directly refuted by PG in his earlier comment in this thread?

I am sorry - but your post rings so full of hubris and egotism that I cant take you seriously.

If I am just obtuse, then I apologize. Please consider the following;

>Most entrepreneurs would want to invest that energy into building their companies, not involved with too much political muck.

Where are you showing VCs/even YC to reduce political muck? It appears to be rampant. I see that the initial investment (YC seed, through others) has increased - but that does not prove the value to dollar ratio has necessarily increased at the same rate.

Political muck indeed.

>VCs / institutional folks are functionally services. Its like a 7 star hotel, there are some people who can afford to stay there. Some can even afford a presidential suite. They don't give a hoot about those that cannot pay the tab.. mostly because they are fielding all the demand they can get .. and have no time for anyone's feelings.

This is fucking BS; you state that Receiving VC is equic with CHOOSING to stay at a 7 star joint.

Look - people do NOT choose to stay at a 7 star place (no such thing) unless they already have the funds - in your case, you are saying that one only counts if they have already been included in the circle to, not only, receive the 7-star funds, but are also in a position to spend said funds on same resort.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

You sound like an MBA/Finance, uh, geek who entered into VC at too young of an age and the only person you have managed directly is the hot admin with big tits whom, had they not ordered your coffee correctly, you would have berated them for their poor upbringing.

Sorry - but, I do not think you are really of the proper domain expertise to be answering such threads.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#44

Post by samstave » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 6:45 AM UTC

west1737 wrote: post #42

samstave wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don't you do the same thing when you get emails offering you amazing business opportunities? Isn't this the exact business that VCs are in? Identifying amazing offers? You make the claim as if VCs are not in the business of looking for amazing deals, vs everyone else who is in infinite other businesses... Yeah, there is the rule that intros are best - but still, why try to architect vision and innovation out of the…

Yea, but everyone thinks they have an "amazing idea". That just comes with the territory of being an entrepreneur. If you can't get out there and convince others of your idea (via intros, YC, products, whatever...), then you'll most likely have trouble executing on even the best idea.

That wasnt the gist of his argument though.

He was talking about how they (VCs) are not in the business of vetting ideas - but pursuing sure things. Yet all the rhetoric around the VC industry says otherwise.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#45

Post by Hitchhiker » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 6:56 AM UTC

samstave wrote: post #39

Hitchhiker wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me be a little less polite than PG VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Cold calling any of them will not work. Heck even intros from the highest level are not treated that nicely if you're a first time guy. Best…

> VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? Why have a blackhole at all? Why be so un-innovative? Sure, it will cost you money - but if you claim that this is the reason for NOT…

Sam, I noticed your later comment. My apologies if I peeved you off.

Perhaps, you are correct, I do not have the expertise to have a POV.

Just a minor correction, I do not have an MBA and or the admin with the description you gave. That's rather demeaning to the women who may be reading this list.

Just another coder in a team of four trying to figure things out. You've correctly identified err.. my virtues[1].. guilty as charged.

Take it easy mate.

[1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Wall#Virtues_of_a_program...

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#46

Post by Kavan » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 7:00 AM UTC

pg wrote: post #12

wavephorm wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I emailed a16z to ask for a meeting or phone interview about an "amazing" opportunity to invest "early" in a new startup. They did not respond or ask any questions, I was completely ignored. All their deals seem like big money and late stage. Do they know a good startup when they see it? Seems like instead of finding startup investment opportunities by themselves they're going to let YC filter out the good deals for…

Don't you do the same thing when you get emails offering you amazing business opportunities? As a general rule, no VC firm will respond to a cold email. You need an intro from someone they know. Your best bet is to try to get an intro from someone at a company they've invested in.

As a SV outsider who recently spent a month there, I totally agree. The only way to get meetings is through your network. Start with people you meet at events and then add to it (co working spaces like www.rocket-space.com are great for this). Eventually you'll be speaking to company founders and they can refer you. Remember that the quality of the referral is also important, so if you have only met someone for 5 mins and then ask them to refer you, their referral email will be rather weak. Spend the time building the relationship and getting them excited about your product. Then when the time comes you will get a solid referral and a near certain meeting.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#47

Post by Kavan » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 7:02 AM UTC

Congrats YC! Fills a gap too. Ron - Seed, AH - VC, Yuri/DST mezzanine.

I am a little surprised that Ron and Yuri let them in on such a good deal. I am sure a lot of VCs would jump at this opportunity.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#48

Post by bfe » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 7:04 AM UTC

samstave wrote: post #44

west1737 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, but everyone thinks they have an "amazing idea". That just comes with the territory of being an entrepreneur. If you can't get out there and convince others of your idea (via intros, YC, products, whatever...), then you'll most likely have trouble executing on even the best idea.

That wasnt the gist of his argument though. He was talking about how they (VCs) are not in the business of vetting ideas - but pursuing sure things. Yet all the rhetoric around the VC industry says otherwise.

It really just boils down to, networking your way into a strong personal introduction is a trivial task compared with one hundred other far more challenging aspects of launching a successful startup, and every VC in the world knows this and uses it as a filter, because it's true and it works, so there's absolutely no reason they would or should deviate from this logic.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#49

Post by samstave » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 7:16 AM UTC

Hitchhiker wrote: post #45

samstave wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> VC public e-mail addresses == /dev/null .. they exist purely to appease the raging masses of entrepreneurs hanging outside their walls, reading Venturebeat ( fill in another 10 top " blogs " of your choice ) more than mails from their mum. Doesn't this sound like an opportunity then? Why have a blackhole at all? Why be so un-innovative? Sure, it will cost you money - but if you claim that this is the reason for NOT…

Sam, I noticed your later comment. My apologies if I peeved you off. Perhaps, you are correct, I do not have the expertise to have a POV. Just a minor correction, I do not have an MBA and or the admin with the description you gave. That's rather demeaning to the women who may be reading this list. Just another coder in a team of four trying to figure things out. You've correctly identified err.. my virtues[1].. guilt…

:) I had a little wine. This makes me punchy on text... Sorry about that. Nothing personal.

I just want the startup world to get the return on value that they produce.

I am still jaded in this area...

Thanks for the reply.

Re: Andreessen Horowitz Joins The Start Fund To Seed YC Companies

#50

Post by bfe » Sat, Oct 15, 2011, 7:23 AM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #35

bfe wrote: post #13

Interesting that both SVA and AH responded to the success of YC not by setting up separate programs to emulate it, but by coalescing around it. This clearly made sense for Milner as a relative newcomer but the other two groups had no shortage of connections and capabilities in place and could easily have taken either route. YC keeps increasing the margin by which it is the top program of its kind.

"easily" Creating and running YC is not in the least bit easy.

Certainly not! Especially being the forerunners of their new model.

I just meant that SVA and AH could, if anybody anywhere could, and if they so desired, have concentrated their resources to try to set up a new program that emulates YC. Compared to anyone else's chances, in the universe, to emulate YC, SVA or AH would have had the financial, intellectual, and social resources to have had a relatively easier go at it.

But neither of them tried to emulate, they both chose instead to coalesce around and go to war with the YC they had.

I think that choice is non-trivial, and significant; and it lends ever more acceleration to YC putting ever greater depth between itself and any potential competing program.