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Comment by sumukh1 | Hacker News Reader

> "I feel like Ycombinator in particular takes too much ownership stake from such a low investment (10% of your company for $6k/founder of investment? That seems insane)"

I wonder if this is actually an issue. I don't see any founders complaining about YC's equity (perhaps due to self-selection). Have founders ever needed more money than what YC and Start Fund but not enough to justify raising a round?

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I mentioned that specifically because I've invested myself in a few startups and typically I only get 1% at most for sometimes much more money than what Ycombinator offers.

People get much more than just funding from yc; I think people are happy to give 10% of their company for $6k plus all the connections and expertise that yc offers. If yc only offered money, they wouldn't get a 10% stake for $6k.

I for one specifically did not apply to Y Combinator this year because of the big stake/small amount of cash they offered, though would have loved the mentoring and publicity. Six per cent for $6,000 per founder might be okay if you are a couple of guys or gals with an idea but if you are already profitable, it just does not make sense.

There almost needs to be a Y Combinator for small-but-already-profitable web businesses, offering much better terms.

Great talk, btw, Matt. As a fellow bootstrapper, it resonated with me.

Commercial banks offer what you're seeking. In our local scene when one of our cash-flow+ portfolio companies is seeking further capital for expansion, often debt is a better (cheaper) option than taking on VC investment (if they're CF+ they shouldn't be seeking angel terms!). We've actually had a big bank actively trying to sell such debt.

If you're CF+ and need capital, talk to your bank.

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