Molson Hart

Banks likely won't fund a startup based on anything other than profit and cash in the bank, if you are pre-revenue they are ways to get cash and practice pitching and make connections. Often times VC may be on the judge panel or someone who can build your network is.

Word, I met my mentor through a startup competition which I lost. That's a great counterpoint.

I have met so many people that opened doors for me and have seen so many people learn to be founders by going to competitions. This is a case of a founder saying controversial things on twitter to get attention and showing no awareness.

Agree with your first point. Disagree with your second. You can't explain all nuance in a single tweet. Sometimes to broadcast a message effectively you need to go with the directionally correct main message and that is that startup competitions are not what htey're made to be.

This is where we will differ but that is just how it goes. Founders that have traction start speaking like it is all so easy and you should just focus on XYZ. Being a successful founder really just makes you an expert on your success not success in startup in the general sense

Founders who've done it twice > Founders who've done it once > Venture capitalists who've never done it > Business school profs > Everyone else

I would argue that it doesn't even need to be a founder, just anyone that has taken the startup ride in a serious way more than once and had it be different. Like I have done software, e-commerce, hardware product, etc. All of those are different and have different paths to win