YCombinator Demo Day is always an exciting event: Paul Graham gives an update of YC companies, a new crop of startups present interesting products and I get to see plenty of familiar faces.
For you, the founders, on the other hand, it can be a watershed moment. It’s often the first time you present your product to a wide audience. There is press (TC, VB), probably well over $100 million of investment grade capital and more than 70 pairs of eyes on you. If things go well, you can walk away with a big check and a daunting task at hand: “Go make your product a business”.
I have been to a bunch of YC demo-days and thought it might be useful for YC founders to provide a few pointers on how to handle it. Although these pointers are specific to demo-day, they can also apply to any event you present at.
I just invested in SetJam. I did not know about them this morning and it only took 2 hours and 52 minutes from the first introduction to funding SetJam!
Find out why and learn how you can deal with angel investors:
So, how do you become part of the Silicon Valley in-crowd?
First, there really is no such clique and if there is, it is incredibly transient.
Second, Silicon Valley is not an oligarchy, but rather a meritocracy!
And third, if you are smart, capable, intelligent, driven and socially not totally awkward, you can be part of the SV “in-crowd”.
Vote for @marissamayer http://t.korte.us/a1XAM6 #