Greg Linden: "I should have focused on angels."

Along these lines, I think there's a trap that folks who follow YC like myself can fall into. Since YC sets up founders and angels in the best atmosphere possible, the founders can be completely product-focused.

So you, Bootstrapper Bill, think you should be too. But of course, that's one main reason why YC does what it does, to create that focused environment where it otherwise wouldn't necessarily exist.

If Demo Day is not coming up, you've got to start hustlin' on day one, not obsessing over user experience. Starting up a company is all about sales -- either selling products or equity -- before it can be about users or technology. That distinguishes it from the side project you do when you get around to it.

I bootstrapped* my project, which I thought meant I didn't have to start working on funding right away. So wrong, especially outside of the Bay Area.

Strive early and constantly for access to the best investors.

They're like oxygen tanks when you're climbing Everest. Most people know they need them. But even if you won't need them, you don't know that ahead of time. When you need them, you really need them. And if you can't get to one when you need one, you're in real bad shape.

And as mentioned in the article, even if you want VC funding, you want angels to be the filter (for them and you). If PG says that investor quality may be the number-one advantage of being in "a" startup hub, you do get the feeling that access to quality investors is kinda critical, even if you're starting off bootstrapping.

* - By bootstrapping I mean no outside funding at all. I suspect the term may be a little more liberal than I expected when I recently heard about a company that "bootstrapped from $300,000 of angel investment." Hmm, those are some pretty big straps.

Maybe it was an idea that just didn't have enough innovation to make the traction better. But one hell of a good effort I would say for a bootstrapped startup, toughing it out in market with fully funded sharks.

Can I ask what's next in your pipeline, how does this experience influence your future projects?