Ask HN: Should I Apply for the YC Fellowship?

2 points

MichaelCrawford

11 years ago

YC Fellowship on HN

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9917334

Sam Altman's Take

http://blog.ycombinator.com/yc-fellowship

The YC Fellowship is an experiment to help more people start startups.

http://fellowship.ycombinator.com/

Apply Here

http://fellowship.ycombinator.com/apply/

I am reluctant to avail myself of the fellowship in part because I regard the public traded corporation as a bad idea. Not unethical; rather that public trading is a poor choice. In my own estimation other ways other kinds of businesses are far better.

(I can name some public companies that I do regard as having real benefit.

My first business card read "Michael D. Crawford / Inventor and Programmer". Dad was so proud, he handed my cards out to all his coworkers.

Some of my inventions would be unsuitable for a startup even in the best of circumstances.

Others I will not sell for any price; to do so would not serve the public interest.

I don't pursue funding for some others I don't want to lose control:

   "I don't understand video games.  You should 
    sell your assets to maximize my ROI."

While the fellowship is a grant not an investment nor loan, I cannot in good conscience even apply unless I will follow through with a startup that will not merely prosper, but be a huge hit.

Given my fifteen years of adamant assertion that There Is A Better Way than Venture Capital, while the fellowship would be good for me in so many ways, I would do right by others to demonstrate BY MY OWN EXAMPLE that that Better Way is self-funding.

1 comment