David Spinks
SF
- 272 comments
- 138 likes given
- 79 likes received
Entrepreneur and community builder. Founder of TheCommunityManager.com. Built communities for companies like Zaarly, LeWeb, SeatGeek and more. Working on Feast.
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@thomasknoll these are awesome. I actually started doing some of these in the morning with a quick workout and meditation. Check a few off the list right away ^_^
And yea I think that's the great thing about writing these questions out and forcing yourself to answer them. They're questions that run through our head every single day, but they're easy to avoid because they're hard to answer. But when you write it out, you realize some of them are easier to answer than you thought. And if you can't answer it, that's okay, at least you know that now.
@thomasknoll thanks a lot man. So many of the things you mentioned have already proven true haha. Lets definitely catch up soon.
@andyandyahh for sure. I see it happen all the time in the startup world too. Someone has an idea but they never jump in because they're afraid of failure.
I'd also recommend looking into joining a coworking space. Look at nwc.co, indiehall and general assembly as examples.
@ruima fair point. I totally get that.
We got in, so I can't really complain. The process worked out for us. We definitely did feel this sense of uncertainty right after our interview but that doesn't really matter as long as you're able to make a confident decision. Based on the caliber of people and companies I've seen in batch 6, I think something's working. Only time will tell (=
@bwerdschinski Thanks Bruce. Appreciate the comment.
@garrytan totally understand and that's good to know that YC still looks for other team makeups. I honestly didn't research the program too deeply and I think that's because of my perception that the program isn't interested in non-technical teams. Perhaps if I looked into it more, I would have found that it could be a good fit for us too.
I'm definitely not saying that YC founders can't come out of the program with lifelong relationships. I just think my personal ability to develop those relationships is greater in the environment of a physical coworking space. Others may prefer the YC environment.
I love being able to walk around and get product feedback on the spot. I love the passing conversations you have in the common area. I love feeling the energy of all of these other teams hustling around me. I love having the 500 team right there, ready to help whenever you need it.
The culture aspect is an interesting perspective that I hadn't thought of. I do think you can form a unique culture while being in a coworking space though. Culture comes from the people on your team.
@TheRebull Thanks Camilo. That's good to know. How's everything going for you post-500?
@puppetMaster3 Good question. I don't know that there's an exact breakdown that will work for everyone.
Building your business and product should definitely be your top priority. You can get to know everyone in the fund but if you haven't proven that you can build a company, you won't get in.
Accelerators are just funds. What they're looking for are companies that have promise. If you've proven traction, then it won't be hard to get in front of the right people. If you don't have a product or traction, you either need to have previous experience building companies, or you're just a total badass.
@WendyOverton Thanks Wendy. Hope you're well (=
@PeterVOrtho you should (=
@garrytan Hey Garry, thanks for the comment.
We did consider Y Combinator but didn't feel like it was the best fit for our business and culture.
The biggest factor was probably the fact that there isn't a physical space where companies all work together. Having gone through DreamIT, I believe this to be one of the greatest advantages of participating in an accelerator. I really value the serendipity and relationships that come from being in a physical space together every day.
We also perceived YC to be mostly interested in more technical founders/products. While we have hacked together our products really quickly, we aren't a particularly technical team and our product isn't a very technical product.
I know from friends who have gone through YC that it's an amazing experience. Much respect for the program, just didn't feel like the right home for Feast.
@shaig ah thanks for the clarification. Pulled the date from wikipedia so may want to try to get that updated: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Startups
@PeterWerner thanks a lot Peter. Always happy to answer any other questions that startups you talk to might have about the process.
@Sarah Jane thanks so much Sarah. I'm not sure you'll be able to keep me out of Boulder now that I've gotten a taste (=
@saradavidson Thanks Sara (=
@terakristen haha I like it. Then you can write that post ;)
@MarckErnestThornton We're definitely going to be digging into the scaling community question in the hangout.
@JeffSlobotski thanks so much man. The feeling's mutual.
@Lori Thanks!