

Ask HN: Alternatives to Y Combinator? - swilliams

I have an idea for a startup, and would love to submit it to the YC program. However, I also have a wife and an infant daughter and the move to either Cambridge or Mountain View would just be too much of a burden.<p>So, is there a similar program but without the move? Or perhaps a little closer to home (Phoenix, AZ)? Or should I pursue a more traditional seed/angel funding route? The biggest attraction of YC to me is the cumulative experience and knowledge of the founders, and I worry that I wouldn't get that with a standard VC path.
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cperciva
_So, is there a similar program but without the move? [...] The biggest
attraction of YC to me is the cumulative experience and knowledge of the
founders, and I worry that I wouldn't get that with a standard VC path._

How do you expect to get a "similar program" without moving? The cumulative
experience and knowledge of YCers isn't something which can be conveyed
remotely.

My google-fu is failing at the moment, but I remember seeing a comment from pg
here a while ago to the extent that YC once tried funding a team remotely, but
it didn't work due to the lack of frequent contact. Don't look at YC's move-
across-the-country requirement as a roadblock they're putting up -- look at it
as them trying to maximize the chance that the companies they fund will
succeed.

(That said, I submitted a YC application in spite of not being able to move --
but I wasn't really expecting to be accepted, and if I had been accepted, it
would have taken sitting down and trying to figure out exactly how YC could
help a non-local startup before I would have accepted.)

~~~
sanj
I think this is the conversational fragment you're referring to:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=257260>

~~~
cperciva
Right conversation, wrong fragment. Here's the comment I was remembering:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=257203>

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beaudeal
My first piece of advice would be this: don't bank on YC funding. Sure, it
would be great if you got accepted, but that shouldn't stop you from pursuing
your idea. Especially if it is still just an idea - work on it at home, in
your spare time, and then evaluate your options once you have done everything
you possibly can do on your own.

If you decide that you need outside funding, and even Mountain View is too
far, then your options for YC (or a similar program) become more limited. The
next YC round will be in Cambridge, but there is TechStars in Boulder,
Colorado which is obviously much closer, but may still be too far. The only
other programs I have heard of are in the Philly / DC areas.

Like you said though, there are more traditional routes. A Google search for
'arizona angel network' brings up over 2m hits. My point is that, I'm sure
there are options, you just need to look for them, and then evaluate.

First things first, though: start hacking!

~~~
swilliams
Thank you. That's pretty much what we've concluded: continue at my current job
and hack at it on nights and weekends until a prototype is ready.

I hadn't heard of TechStars, and will check them out.

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pragmatic
Why do you need seed/angel funding. Why don't you bootstrap it? Work on it in
your spare time? And don't give me excuses about a young daughter. I did it
with a young son while working full time. It's about desire, not location.
Don't buy into the hype.

I'm not convinced YC is a good thing. What about the group think problem? Hey
everybody let's build sites then [..magic..] profit!

If it's a good idea slow and steady will do just fine.

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markessien
You probably have a day job, right? Put aside a certain amount everymonth and
hire people on elance to create your product for you. In a few months it will
be done and you can test it on the market. It's risk free, and it's the
sensible solution for someone with a wife and children.

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sanj
Consider the fbFund.

I'm happy to chat about it. I've written a little about it too:
<http://blog.luckycal.com/?p=11>

~~~
swilliams
Is fbFund only for Facebook apps? That doesn't really fit what I'm thinking
of.

~~~
sanj
Yes, it is.

Can you make it fit?

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davidw
You could do cambridge / mountain view for the three months that you're
required to be there, then leave - I don't think there's anything in the rules
against that.

~~~
swilliams
We talked about that, and it would mean bad things all around for my family.
Background: She's a PhD student and will graduate in May or August.

Option 1) She continues what she's doing right now, research and lab work, and
occasionally pick up a shift at a "real" job. However, we wouldn't have health
insurance, and that is crucial (pre-existing conditions and baby).

Option 2) She gets a full time job, with benefits. The downside is that we
would then need full time daycare for the baby, which is something I am
against. Yes, it would only be for a few months, but I think it would be too
much for her, since she would essentially be a single mom.

Crazy Option 3) We pick up and move to Cambridge/Mountain View. This would
keep the family together, but the logistics of figuring that out while
starting a company make my head hurt just thinking about it.

Ultimately, a 3 month separation would be an incredible stressor on our
marriage, and that is something I'm not willing to sacrifice.

~~~
davidw
All sounds rather familiar...

"research and lab work" - are you another tech guy with a biotech/chem girl?
You have no information in your profile, BTW.

~~~
swilliams
Close :). Her field is Audiology. (And I'm filling out my profile now, thanks
for the heads up).

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rsmerritt
There is a new Y-Combinator style accelerator forming in Arizona called
Tekcelerate (www.tekcelerate.com).

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theklub
Anyone mentioned Vencorps.com? If no one has I'd check it out.

~~~
swilliams
Can you provide some more info about them? I looked at the site, but there
isn't a lot there beyond the signup-for-beta form.

It looks kind of like a social-media based VC thing, is that correct?
Interesting idea, but how feasible is that model?

