That's what the startup visa in it current advocacy states: if an entrepreneur has raised 250k then so be it.
So yes, valid idea. But again, not what I' saying: if I want to start a business, it should not be a requirement that I have to raise money or go into an incubator. Those are factors that should accelerate an application, not determine it.
Not quite. If you are a venture partner and you don't produce returns on the fund, you're out of there. The entire partnership needs to show gains on the fund. In my experience, it's actually pretty easy raising money (either from advertisers, investors, or sponsors) but what's hard is ensuring you give a return on that money. You can measure the success of a venture fund not on how much money they raise the first time, but how much they've raised in total over successive rounds.
Let me qualify that: as a founder, of course there is risk. That's what makes you a founder. And that's why not everyone is cut out to be a founder: you need to be mad. (And there's madness is a bit of all of us, but as a twenty something bachelor, being a mad man affects me less than a 40 something father of three.)
My response was in the context of being an employee. I was an employee at a 5,000 person consulting firm in Australia when the financial crisis hit in 2008 and I had more fear losing my job then then when I moved to recession-plagued America in 2009 to work at a search-engine startup (and Australia has been one of the strongest economies in that period since). In fact, I was paid more (in salary, not counting options), given more responsibility, and enjoyed life more.
Startups in my portfolio at CRV (we're the guys that funded Twitter, Yammer, Millennial Media...) have plenty of cash and I think you'll make more money working in a startup and enjoy life more.
There is no risk, because if the startup fails, you move to the next one. Silicon Valley is like working in a big company with multiple divisions: you may change 'departments', but you're still working for something where everything loosely aligns as the same goal.
Agreed with Ben. I'm an Aussie transplant and know the pain that comes with moving but have to say it was the best decisions of my life.
I help the portfolio of Charles River Ventures (early investor in Twitter, Yammer) find exceptional hackers to help change the world. Happy to look over people's resumes and give feedback. If you're not from Silicon Valley, I'll set you up with a half dozen interviews and can help you overcome visa issues -- I'm passionate about seeing the world's smartest people working in startups (either as founders or early stage employees).
So yes, valid idea. But again, not what I' saying: if I want to start a business, it should not be a requirement that I have to raise money or go into an incubator. Those are factors that should accelerate an application, not determine it.