en-us http://www.intensedebate.com/users/45451 Comments by Alexander Muse http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772898 Often a lot more than one other person! Sun, 7 Feb 2010 19:49:34 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772898 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772862 I am going to try to stay out of the paper for a few weeks... :) Sun, 7 Feb 2010 19:49:10 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772862 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772834 I agree completely. My advice to entrepreneurs is to always find great partners, first. Sun, 7 Feb 2010 19:48:52 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/07/to-clarify-a-few-things/#IDComment55772834 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/06/my-seemingly-suite-deal-that-turned-sour/#IDComment55645458 I'll buy the beer! Sat, 6 Feb 2010 20:33:47 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/06/my-seemingly-suite-deal-that-turned-sour/#IDComment55645458 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55369568 LOL - why would I lie? The comment moderation system is running on Intense Debate. I am not doing ANY moderation. Which comment is missing? Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:20:22 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55369568 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55368188 It floors me they keep posting here. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:06:25 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55368188 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55367346 Amen! Lots of VCs have blogs, twitter and facebook accounts - read them and engage. Guess what, actually engaging a VC in context is far more powerful than simply showing up at a 'pay-to-pitch' scheme (oh and it is free). :) Thu, 4 Feb 2010 19:58:28 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55367346 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55359949 This is my blog, i.e. were I post my opinions. To be clear Koby, you reached out to me - my response is specifically about your 'pay-to-pitch' scheme. Additionally, you made your pitch to several employees at our company further calling my attention to your scheme. After reviewing the offer which didn't mention anything about a $4,500 fee I emailed you offering to attend. You explained the fee and I responded that I had a philosophical objection to similar schemes. You argued that I wasn't being objective. Jason is against pay-to-pitch. He doesn't support angels who take money from entrepreneurs. I don't think he would be any more supportive of middle men like youngStartup taking the money instead. I may be wrong (I reached out to him for clarification). I appreciate you commenting directly using your real name, but I think it is important for readers to realize that ALL of the posts in support of your program here are from your IP address. Comments from your IP address include: Chris, Carl and Pat. I guess it is possible that you have multiple folks in your office with the names Chris, Carl and Pat - but it seems more likely that you have been responding to comments using fake names. This is just strange. Why bother? What are you hiding? Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:45:23 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55359949 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55359816 Koby you reached out to me - my response is specifically about your 'pay-to-pitch' scheme. Additionally, you made your pitch to several employees at our company further calling my attention to your scheme. After reviewing the offer which didn't mention anything about a $4,500 fee I emailed you offering to attend. You explained the fee and I responded that I had a philosophical objection to similar schemes. You argued that I wasn't being objective. Jason is against pay-to-pitch. He doesn't support angels who take money from entrepreneurs. I don't think he would be any more supportive of middle men like youngStartup taking the money instead. I may be wrong (I reached out to him for clarification). I appreciate you commenting directly using your real name, but I think it is important for readers to realize that ALL of the posts in support of your program here are from your IP address. Comments from your IP address include: Chris, Carl and Pat. I guess it is possible that you have multiple folks in your office with the names Chris, Carl and Pat - but it seems more likely that you have been responding to comments using fake names. This is just strange. Why bother? What are you hiding? Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:43:56 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55359816 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55358590 Talk to Intense Debate - there is no moderation going on here. You know that we know you are using a fake name, right? Your IP address is the same address used by the co-founder of youngStartup in Israel - it would seem YOU are the scared one. I am happy to use my real name whenever I share my opinion. Why aren't you? Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:32:34 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55358590 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55358043 The market tends to tell us all what we can charge and how we can charge - some of us listen and some of us don't. Great news, we live in a free country and you still have the right to charge startups $4500. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:27:10 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55358043 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55347918 Pat (or is it Chris or maybe Avi Maderer - Intense Debate logs your IP address) - Gordon suggested that you and your company "prey on the desperate". He didn't suggest that ALL startups are desperate. As Andy commented, some startups get a lot out of 'pay-to-pitch' schemes, but I don't think that the experience of some entrepreneurs justifies the practice. I am sure torture works on some terrorists, but does that fact mean that we should torture them all? Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:48:07 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55347918 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55347377 So you and your partner aren't really the entrepreneurs I am worried about. There are lots of entrepreneurs and startups that have no business pitching to VCs who after struggling to get meetings; relent and pay their fees to 'pay-to-pitch' schemes in a futile hope of getting funded. Their $4,500 would be better used for almost any startup related purpose. You had no problems getting face-to-face meetings with VCs, did you? Wonder why? You were ready. The startups or entrepreneurs who can't get a meeting are often a) not ready, b) unfundable, or c) in the wrong space. I believe there is a lot of value in the fund raising process. My pitch evolved meeting to meeting. I learned from each VC I pitched to. I learned from their questions and their comments. The business I started pitching looked very different from the business I ultimately got funded. You guys went through this process too and you knew exactly what you were getting into when you paid to pitch (and you guys could afford it) - lots of entrepreneurs don't or can't... Thanks for the comment! Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:42:46 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55347377 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346638 I appreciate the kind words, but we ALL are the face of Dallas entrepreneurialism (is that a word?). We have to put our best face forward and getting rid of this sort of crap is a good start. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:34:57 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346638 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346613 Avi and Koby aren't too happy with me right now, but I think you might be able to make a difference. I really appreciate your comment here, your post and your position on this issue. Perhaps you could try to explain the other side of the issue to Koby, maybe even getting them to change their model. Anyway, thanks for your comment! Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:34:41 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346613 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346546 Do you go by Chris or Avi Maderer? I don't really consider the topic lame. Seth Levine, one of your speakers, doesn't think the topic lame as he wrote an excellent post on this top titled, "$5K to pitch your business? Who falls for this?" His best quote: "THERE IS NO CIRCUMSTANCE IN WHICH ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD PAY TO PITCH THEIR BUSINESS TO PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS. PERIOD. END OF STORY." - Seth Levine Seth even took the time to comment on this post explaining he had no idea you guys were charging startups to pitch. Jason Calacanis doesn't think the topic is lame either. He wrote a long piece on the topic titled, "Why startups shouldn’t have to pay to pitch…" We can agree to disagree. You have a right to run your business any way you wish, but I have a right to call attention to any business model that I think takes advantage of entrepreneurs. I honestly think that charging startups to pitch to investors is morally and ethically wrong. I am not alone in my opinion. With regard to my charitable efforts I let my actions speak louder than my words. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:34:02 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2010/02/03/paying-to-pitch-revisited-again/#IDComment55346546 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371738 Yes... Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:11:27 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371738 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371728 :) Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:11:15 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371728 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371721 100% of retail shoppers, not 100% of retailers. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:11:06 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2009/12/18/where-should-we-draw-the-line/#IDComment49371721 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2008/02/01/3qs-with-andy-robinowitz-of-social-knowledge/#IDComment49317513 @john your comment borders on libel. Are you suggesting Andy is a sex offender or just knows sex offenders? You are free to make a comment about Andy, but I think you need to be more specific and direct. Also, you need to use your real name and email address. In fact, if you don't clarify your comment with your real name and a specific allegation I will remove it by the end of the day. Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:02:13 +0000 http://www.texasstartupblog.com/2008/02/01/3qs-with-andy-robinowitz-of-social-knowledge/#IDComment49317513