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Republic - Invest in the startups real investors won't invest in

That strikes me as a very cynical view, and I consider myself to be a pretty cynical guy. You could also make the same argument about other market platforms:

"Ebay - Buy things real shoppers won't"

"Uber - Get a ride somewhere real taxis won't go"

"Monster.com - Hire people real employers won't"

Is it really that different?

I'd call the appraisal justified. At least from where I sit, I'd say that the equivalent to eBay or Uber would be listing stock from startups that also have VC funding, and selling actual shares in the company.

eBay and Uber cater to the same folks that use competing services. No one on Sand Hill Road is going to use Republic.

As for Monster...that's a little too accurate.

This is actually a great way to test your idea. If lots of people find it promising, it will at least remove one concern when building a startup.

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