Comment by rvivek | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rvivek | Hacker News Reader

We (interviewstreet, YC s2011) raised money from Khosla ventures and Vinod is my main point of contact in the firm. I don't know about other experiences but to us he has been of tremendous help in advice, connections (he knows the entire world and isn't shy to connect to people he knows for a valid reason) and in hiring people. He has taken at least 8 interviews for me in the last 5 months for VP/PM roles - sometimes to evaluate and sometimes to convince.

I think it depends on the entrepreneur on how much involved and close you want to be with your VC. Some of their operating partners - Keith Rabois, Ben Ling, Mark Jung, Flo (recruiting), Mojgan (PR), etc. are big resources to leverage on. I'm not trying to evangelize the firm in any way here but just putting it across that there are pros & cons in every VC firm and it boils down to what the entrepreneur actually wants. I have personally met entrepreneurs who just want a high valuation, that's it. The need varies.

Every entrepreneur's goal is to make his/her company successful and if the odds are high in getting a particular investor on board, then do it.

Btw, I think there are a lot of YC companies after our batch which raised money from Khosla ventures - instantcab, instacart are the ones on top of my mind.

Glad you have had a positive experience. I wish you the best in building your company.

Can you comment on why so few YC companies have raised from them?

My comments have received a total of 53 points. KV has tried suing thefunded. And big, successful startups haven't taken his money.

Also, was KV your lead investor?

There are at least six YC companies that have raised money from Khosla: http://www.seed-db.com/investorgraph/investorview?investorid...

(InterviewStreet isn't listed because they haven't added their funding data to Crunchbase; there may be others like this, too.)

As my note below implies, there's a big difference between a lead investor and a follow on. If he were a go-to VC, we'd see it in his portfolio.

Vinod's been at this far long enough to judge his results. He gets his ROI but at the expense of founders. That's why we don't see him in the upper echelon and where his marketing doesn't match what is known among knowledgeable parties.

KV recently led the Series A in Quartzy and a Series A in another deeply technical YC company (soon to be announced), which had offers from other highly prestigious firms.

Most YC companies are addressing markets and challenges that are ideal fits for KV. There are probably 10 companies or so that would (even with the benefits of hindsight) been quintessential Series A candidates for us.

Footnote: I write this as someone who loves YC and has personally invested in over a dozen YC companies.

And as someone knows the word has gotten out about Vinod must actively combat that reputation.

I wish you luck. Good Vinod can be as fine a partner as any, I'm sure. It's just the history of Bad Vinod, and how he has treated founders, that holds the firm back. His partners end up more as minions than a check on his ego.

Why did Khosla Ventures sued TheFunded? Is TheFunded = Founder Institute?

As CEO of another KV-backed company (CellScope), I'd like to chime in and echo rvivek's comments. Vinod demoed my otoscope device during his talk, which was great, but for CellScope the real value has been in helping us to expand the vision of the company. KV was the lead investor in our seed round when we finished Rock Health, just as digital health was coming on the scene. He and his team have constantly pushed us to think bigger and faster, and provided resources and connections to add meat to those bones. I am very glad to be working with KV on building a company to make a real difference in healthcare.

Clearly the shortcut to quality VC funding is to pitch a startup named /in.*/ to YCombinator!

* indolence.com - hire people to go to work for you, while you catch up on DVD box set

* inflight.com - bored of the usual movies? hire us to mime the latest blockbuster in the aisle seat next to you

* inkling.com - stuck on a crossword clue? we shall mail you hints for the answer to NYT's brain bogglers

* incert.com - want to pass that exam and get the CERTificate? we connect you with best local tutors

oh boy I am sooooo going to be in the next round :-)

Thank you for sharing your experience. His type of advice and connections appear to be the pinnacle of what people can hope for in a VC.

Final tally - 51 votes here to the contrary.

Those who know avoid Khosla.

For all you new founders, tread lightly.

Right. But in terms of delivering in a favorable way on those promises, CEOs I know speak less well of Khosla than of the other high-profile new-breed VCs -- Andreesen-Horowitz, Google Ventures, etc.

Also, the second-worst story I've heard of "WTF???" VC negotiations over the past couple of years was with Khosla. (That said, it wasn't nearly as bad as the worst one.)

WTF and Khosla go hand in hand.

Again, he can negotiate any way he pleases. Just don't pretend and market yourself as some great friend to founders. He's decidedly not.

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