Every startup should apply to an incubator
I’ve been working on Signal Genius since early September 2011. It’s already been quite the ride. The team has been bootstrapping since then, with contracting consuming a good chunk of our time. Despite that, we were still able to get our first paying customers — yes, contrary to popular belief, startups can actually generate revenue ;) — in January. I’m a firm believer that every startup should apply to an incubator program no matter how mature the team or idea. We applied to TechStars for Signal Genius back in January, and even though we don’t know if we’re in yet, the experience has already been worth it.
I’ve been in Boulder now for over a year and a half, and while I don’t think I can apply the “local” label to myself yet, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people. Since Boulder is the original and HQ of TechStars, a day rarely goes by where I don’t cross paths with a mentor, alum, and other applicant to the program. So, applying for the summer program back in January was a no-brainer.
But, I realize it might not be a no-brainer if it’s not in your face every day.
“Getting into an incubator” should never be the goal of a team, the goal should be building your business. That being said, “applying to an incubator” can be a strategic part of building that business. The initial application forces you to put down on paper what the hell you actually do. The feedback you get is real, and doesn’t just apply to the cool tech you’re building or the relationships you have. The best feedback can often be feedback that exposes an incorrect assumption about just how difficult “getting users” or “recommending the best X” — things that can be easily glossed over in the face of your ‘actual idea’ — can be.
The people that run these programs have literally seen thousands of ideas come across their desks. They’ve seen complete newbies and experienced serial entrepreneurs. They’ve probably seen 20 variations on the idea you’re working on. Their bullshit meters are highly tuned, and they have no problem dishing out the hard advice. So do yourself a favor, and go apply to an incubator. As of writing this post, applications for TechStars Boulder Summer 2012 are still open, but they close on Friday. However, you can apply for TS programs after that, or YC, or any other of the dozens of incubators that have popped up in the past couple years.
Go. Apply. Now.
An open letter to recruiters from developers
I get InMail, tweets, and direct emails all the time from recruiters. I think I make it pretty clear that I’m not interested in finding a new job right now, but the emails come anyway. They almost always have the same format:
[generic greeting]. I came across your (twitter profile|profile on LinkedIn|blog). My organization [generic recruitment firm name] has a [arbitrary list of ‘excitement’ related adjectives] position in Ruby/Rails that I think you’d be perfect for [even though there’s a very good chance I don’t have a clue what your skill set is even after reading your resume/profile because I don’t have a technical background]. If you are interested, please get back to me and I will send you [the job description that for some inane reason I didn’t include in the first place]. If you are not, perhaps there is someone in your network who would be interested.
[generic sign off / apology for wasting time]
* rolls eyes *
Here’s my open letter response to all recruiters:
Dear Recruiters,
Us developers have been getting pretty tired of the “you might not be interested, but maybe you know someone who is” line. ALL of you recruiters use this line. I understand you probably think that you are ”networking”, but it really just seems like you’re trying to get us to do your job. What ends up happening is that us developers all get together in a bar, have a few beers, and talk about how incompetent tech recruiters are. Lord help you if you happen to reach out generically with the SAME email on the SAME day to 3 or 4 developers who are friends. It’s probably not the case that you are incompetent, but it’s definitely a place where we lose some respect for you.
So, cool it. If you have a good idea, go find people that are actually looking for a job and write them a personalized email telling them about it. If you’re new and not technical, admit it. Tell us “hey man I have this Ruby/Rails gig and I saw those keywords on your profile. It might not be a perfect fit, but would you ever want to chat about it? I’m trying to learn more about this space.”
Most developers (that I know anyway) react better to requests for help than generic sales pitches.
Be honest. Be personalized. Be respectful. Everybody wins.
$0.02
Love,Developers
EDIT: Shame on me. The recruiter who reminded me to finally publish this draft responded to me directly about this blog post. He informed me (very respectfully) that I had not removed ‘looking for new ventures’ or ‘looking for career opportunities’ from my LinkedIn profile. So apparently I was wrong; I had not made it clear to recruiters that I’m not looking for work. The rest of the rant stands anyway, though. :) Happy New Year!
