

Ask HN: What is the truth about VCs and SV? - will_brown

How does a bootstrapped start-up actually get real funding?  I am not talking about friends, family and savings. Rather I am talking about VCs or angels backed by real funds for seed/roundA funding.<p>I have put in the time and my product is near launch. Simultaneously I have worked to give my start-up the best chances of success I tried everything I could to network, make the SV connections, applied to SXSW Accelerator, LVFunding and YC,and I even succumbed to sending cold emails to VCs (despite most blogs saying VCs wont even respond to cold emails, I did get a nice form rejection from Sequoia).  Of course all my efforts on the business side have been fruitless, failing to get into SXSW, YC or make any connections to the VCs much less secure funding.<p>The VCs, SV, SXSW, YC and all the other acronyms seem to have this impenetrable wall where you are either in or out.  If you are in, then you don't even need an idea much less product and you are all but promised funding, start-up competitions, incubators, and all the media exposure and growth opportunities that naturally follow all as a result of a magical "introduction."  However, if you are out, then no matter how good or original your actual product, you are still out and good luck succeeding without funding.<p>Realistically is there any point in going out to SV like everyone suggests?  The general rational is SV is "where the connections, VCs and money are".  But would it be different?  I might be closer geographically, but I still will not know anyone or have any connections, and I do not think you can just walk up to Sequoia without an appointment and expect to get anywhere.  So am I missing something?  Is it worth it to take my start-up to SV, is so why? What would you do in my position to connect with VCs? Are you in a position to "introduce" me to a VC?
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swombat
Your "about" says:

> about: Non-techie (laywer) who left the practice of law to build a start-up.
> If you think I am crazy or its a long shot, all I have to say is...my goal
> is to disrupt Google/Bing search or YouTube, now who is crazy?

Sounds pretty crazy to me. That would explain why no investors are getting
back to you.

My suggestion: meet some real (ideally somewhat successful - by which I mean
running profitable businesses, not multi-millionaire startup lottery winners)
entrepreneurs, get to know them, and ask them for advice.

Based on your post and bio I'd say you're at step 1 or 2 of a 1000-step
journey, and yet somehow under the illusion that you're just about to get
there. You will get there eventually, but it will take a lot longer than you
think, and you should get help from people who are a few steps ahead of you.

~~~
will_brown
"you should get help from people who are a few steps ahead of you."

I think you are exactly correct, but how do I find the people a few steps
ahead that are willing to help me? Again should I move to SV to find that
community?

In terms of business I have owned my own profitable law firm and
simultaneously created V-Blood, LLC a vampire themed energy drink company. I
never had any experience in beverages, sales, product packaging, product
design, bottling, but within 6 months I had created from scratch V-Blood
vampire energy vials and sold 65,000 units to Hot Topic a Fortune 500
retailer. Ironically, V-Blood received a cease and desist threatening lawsuit,
but as an attorney I got the other side to dismiss their claim before even
filing suit.

I am not a stranger to starting and "running profitable businesses." As I
noted I faced success and the lawsuits that come with it and instead of
backing down successfully fought those too. So please understand I have
previously journeyed 1000 steps and have more than enough energy to do it
again, being on step 1 or 2 does not take the wind from my sails. That said
before you peg my current start-up on 1 or 2, which it very well maybe, please
take a look at it: www.ommageo.com

~~~
josephlord
> ommageo.com

Doesn't work on an iPad as far as I can tell and can't even tell what it does.

~~~
will_brown
Right the Google Earth plug-in is for PC/Mac only. Again one of the reasons
for funding to develop an app so it is compatible on ios and android. Having
to pick an initial version to develop I went web based over mobile.

Regarding what it does, it makes a social network out of combining Google
Earth and YouTube. Users can search for video content by browsing geotags in
Google Earth and filter videos by date, @user, #keyword. Ideal for finding and
sharing video from sports stadiums, concerts, outdoor activities (hiking,
biking, skiing, surfing, skydiving ect...), news events, political protests,
or any event that is intimately tied with time and location like the last
shuttle launch.

~~~
josephlord
Fair enough. Imagining myself as an investor I would be concerned that it
would be hard to get traction as an additional social network and it sounds
too tightly tied to Google (Earth and Youtube) so I would struggle to see exit
options apart from sale to Google and incorporation in G+. Given that I would
be doubtful that a large exit would be possible as there is only likely to be
one buyer so no bidding war.

Now you may have plans to migrate away from Google dependency as you grow and
actual VCs may have different views on these issues than me, I've been known
to be wrong in the past ;). Instagram got $1BN while heavily tied to Facebook
and Apple although they were launching their Android app at the time.

------
josephlord
A bootstrapped start up is one that starts small and without taking funding
works its way up to profitability. If your product is near launch get it
launched and get selling it to customers. If that works then talk to VCs if
you think the funding will help take you to the next level or just recycle the
profits to grow organically.

