SeedStart NYC

avc.com

19 points·epi0Bauqu··4 comments

I think I speak for a lot of people in the NYC startup community when I say trying to work with NYC Seed last year left a bad taste in my mouth.

Read the wording they use very carefully: "up to 20" (i.e. could be no one). Last year they decided to just give 250k to two startups instead of going with their real "incubator" strategy. I've heard one of those two startups already went belly-up.

Yeah, I truly think NYC Seed is the worst case scenario for any startup. We have met the people behind it, and I don't think they are capable of helping in the way Y Combinator can.

Even the application should be a turn off. The questions they ask are not asked in a way that someone with startup experience would ask. They are asked in a way a finance person would ask. Not necessarily a bad thing - if you a are building a finance company.

Finally, I would also argue that their portfolio companies are not really inspiring...

Not trying to hate, but there are so many better options right now. NYC definitely needs a strong seed program, but this is not it.

I think they may have changed their application. It was about three times as long last time I looked at it.

I would highly recommend not bringing your idea / company to seedstart.

I had a bad experience with them and so have a lot of other people I've spoken with in NYC.

Last I heard Owen Davis gave 250k (nyc seed money) to a friend of his and the company went broke in less then 6 months.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com