TechCrunch itself points out the primary fallacy of TC50 in the first place:
"One of the best things about TechCrunch50 is not what happens on stage, but what happens before companies even get there. Startups that don’t even have a working demo or a product are forced to build one just to be considered."
(http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/techcrunch50-wrap-up-co...)
While I'm sure - and have seen, via the videos - many of the startups at the conference were thoroughly worked upon, the rush to present at TC50 doubtlessly hindered the quality of many of the presentations. Issues like "distribution and cost of sale," as Marc Andreessen noted, shouldn't be questions that a serious startup would stumble over...
"One of the best things about TechCrunch50 is not what happens on stage, but what happens before companies even get there. Startups that don’t even have a working demo or a product are forced to build one just to be considered." (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/techcrunch50-wrap-up-co...)
While I'm sure - and have seen, via the videos - many of the startups at the conference were thoroughly worked upon, the rush to present at TC50 doubtlessly hindered the quality of many of the presentations. Issues like "distribution and cost of sale," as Marc Andreessen noted, shouldn't be questions that a serious startup would stumble over...