Ask HN: Tips on raising money for Dev Bootcamp
I'm in a predicament. After many interviews and a lot of waiting and wondering, Dev Bootcamp emailed me and said, "We loved meeting you. You're in." I'm super excited! But now I'm faced with a fast-approaching deadline to generate $20k ($11k for tuition and $3k/mo for living expenses in SF). This is the next phase of my project: raising the funds. I'm ineligible for a school loan, because Dev Bootcamp is a company, not a .edu institution. I'm also ineligible for a private loan because I'm 23 and I have no assets for collateral.
I've turned to raising cash from friends/acquaintances. Parents aren't in the picture. To date, I've raised $9k, which is super, but I'm not even half way there, and I think it was just due to a mixture of beginner's luck and the great amount of enthusiasm and conviction I conveyed during my pitch. I'm still pursuing the fundraising route (and I also began a project on Invested.in here => http://inv.st/27N). The adrenaline and social aspect of raising money and being persuasive is addicting. I feel very entrepreneurial. One year ago, I could never have fathomed having the capacity to raise this sort of money. But my leads are running dry, and I'm not sure what to do next.
I wish there was a sort of YC entity for people who want to get an unofficial education. Dbc isn't a real school, so financial aid and grants, etc. are inapplicable. Maybe there IS such a thing, and I don't know about it. Is there?
Does anyone have any light they can shed on what my next step should be? Also, if you're feeling philanthropic and you'd like my Wells Fargo checking account number, I'm happy to provide that too. ;)
Thank you, all.
Nima
PS: Do you guys think it would be inappropriate to cold email Paul Graham and ask for his financial help? After all, he's always pushing the philosophy that he invests in people, not ideas or plans.
Any wisdom is deeply appreciated. There's nothing I want more than to attend this program.