Comment by rms | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rms | Hacker News Reader

Techstars is a clear second to Y Combinator. But there's nothing wrong it. They have a solid program lined up. Yes, the application is completely plagiarized. PG, did they ask permission or did they just do it?

Regardless, the YC application is pretty much perfect for this type of program, so I can understand that they didn't want to mess with something that worked. Plagiarism is a high form of flattery. The three or four changed or new questions make the TS application worse than the YC one, they shouldn't have bothered.

A venture capitalist is one of the founders of TS -- PG sees that as a negative but it could make it easier to get money from a friendly venture capitalist or provide insight into the notoriously obtuse mind of a VC.

TS also has more than one session a week. I see that additional structure as a good thing but I'm sure PG would argue that it's taking time away from hacking.

The website of each company certainly shows a difference in mentality -- YC is stylized minimalism, TS is over the top web design you get when you pay someone too much to design you a site.

So what should you do? Apply to both. Don't sell yourself short. Boulder's a nice city. So is Boston (even though the trains don't run past midnight).

No, of course they didn't ask permission to copy the application form. And it's not just the application form. Reading their site is a freaky experience, because I keep coming across bits and pieces of my own thoughts, and even idioms.

I'm a bit indignant about the whole operation, actually. I feel like J. K. Rowling would feel if she came across a book that was set at a boarding school for kids with magical powers, with a hero called Henry Potter, who lived with his disagreeable non-magical ("moggle") step-parents, his own parents having been killed by the evil Valdemort...

Perhaps the time has come for a startup that starts startups that start startups.

A half-assed program will likely yield half-ass results.

Paul, the Henry Potter reaction is understandable... this certainly could be interpreted as blatant plagiarism of your ideas. But the other way to read it is as a validation of the vision behind YC. The new model for startup investment that you all have pioneered is clearly in line with the current trajectory of innovation on the internet. You figured it out first -- everyone reading this knows that -- and it almost seems like it'd be MORE worrisome if other investors didn't jump on the same bandwagon right about now.

I mean, at the end of the day, "who's committed and who's merely involved?" -- as Dharmesh put it -- is a pretty damn important thing to know when making the decision to invest in a team. Is it that surprising that other investors are asking the same question?

Point is, techstars just proves that you guys are on to something. And, considering the growing buzz around YC -- not to mention the rockstars who post here at news.yc, speak at your events, and contributed to Jessica's book -- well, seems like Harry Potter's got a pretty serious first-mover advantage. =)

Even as someone that rejects intellectual property as invalid, I suppose I can understand why you are displeased.

However, as for your example, why would anyone buy such a book unless it explored new stories or otherwise filled a void in the market?

My guess is that we're about to see more YC "copycats" popping up. YC is turning down hundreds of applicants each round, Techstars has at least a couple of hundred applicants for their first round, and those numbers are only going to grow as word spreads about these types of opportunities. Entrepreneurial minds aren't only coming from Boston and the Bay area (and other startup hubs), and they're looking for new opportunities. So, there seems to be a growing market for businesses wanting to help start startups. I think this is pretty exciting.

The book analogy falls apart here, because only a limited number of people are accepted to YC or TS, while a (practically) unlimited number of people can read Harry Potter. The existence of two YC-like programs doesn't significantly decrease the amount of interest per program, especially since you can apply to both. It does, however, significantly increase (approx double) the number of entrepreneurs funded, and the competition may encourage YC to improve its program further.

As for your book example comment, if somebody wrote Henry Potter, I imagine lots of people would read it. The story in each new Harry Potter book isn't new and exciting either... it's the same story, new details. Also, just because Harry Potter was the most popular series with that story line doesn't mean there's no demand for other similar books.

We don't accept a fixed number of applicants. We'll fund anyone who seems good enough. If we suddenly got 30 great applications, we''d accept them all, and worry later about how to cram them all into our space.

personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling my ideas to people who copy others so obviously. maybe they hoped nobody would see?! or make it easy for those submitting to YC?

but news.YC is building a community and others seems to missed the train on that..

"I wouldn't feel comfortable telling my ideas to people who copy others so obviously. maybe they hoped nobody would see?!"

Or maybe they've internalized the idea that ideas aren't the important part of most startups, and it didn't occur to them that people might see it as a negative.

I haven't applied (yet) to either, due to age (33) and a mortgage, but I'm still thinking about it. :)

heh heh! now do you see why I have been scared of people copying my software?

I thought that you'd be chaffed at being copied.

I tend to see a VC being in charge as a negative as well. I won't get all Olin Shivers on you, but VCs are not your buddies by profession. Getting money from a VC isn't a favor, it's a business transaction.

Well, it's an atypical VC, as policy his firm does funding rounds of $100,000 and greater up to a more standard 5 million.

Don't get me wrong, he's one of my favorite VCs, but still, it's a little concerning.

Money is money; whoever has it, has it. Resources and opportunities aside, YC money is also a business transaction. Whatever the source of the money, you just work hella hard and do your part.

They should've called it SKI-combinator.

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