Neil Wainwright

[Full disclosure: I am the cofounder of and have run an everchanging startup accelerator experiment since 2009.] As we prepare to recruit our next class of startups, we are curious as to how the changing dynamics of the market are affecting founders and the decisions they're making about their companies. One of our concerns obviously is the current perception of startup accelerator programs, their perceived value to founders, and the likelihood that folks are still interested in applying to these programs. Which leads me to ask Beyond YC and Techstars which are clearly in a category of their own, is the startup accelerator model still relevant to you and the work you do, or is it simply a relic of startups gone by to which we're clinging out of nostalgia ? Interested to hear your thoughts. P.S. This doesn't have to be pro-accelerator feedback. I am also completely willing to hear that you don't find any value or use in accelerators. That sort of feedback is extremely helpful and welcome, as well.

[Caveat: I know this gets asked every now and then. It's been a minute since I've seen a recent post asking this.] Think about everything you've learned since you started your first project. It's staggering, isn't it? And honestly, most of what you know today requires the context of years of experience to even make sense. Still, there are those snippets of insight. Truisms that are readily understandable and intelligible by even the most naive novice. Like you were. When you started. With that in mind, you now have the opportunity to share some of your current knowledge with that earlier version of you. By writing a note to yourself. What is one thing you wish you had known before you began this journey of building products, setting up side hustles, or starting startups ? I'm looking forward to learning from you. Thanks in advance.