Comments on: Accelerator, and the Winners (If You Can Call it That) http://austinstartup.com/2009/03/accelerator-and-the-winners-if-you-can-call-it-that/ All About Austin's Emerging Technology Community Wed, 23 May 2012 06:23:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Me! http://austinstartup.com/2009/03/accelerator-and-the-winners-if-you-can-call-it-that/comment-page-1/#comment-533 Me! Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:03:57 +0000 http://www.austinstartup.com/?p=1155#comment-533 I'm not entirely sure that the judges were coast-biased, but it certainly was more than clear the there were companies in there that didn't belong. I had no idea that ribbit was from 2005 and was sold to BT for a hundred million. That's absolutely bonkers. What in the world were they doing in the accelerator? That is insane in the membrane. Same with others. Disappointing. I’m not entirely sure that the judges were coast-biased, but it certainly was more than clear the there were companies in there that didn’t belong. I had no idea that ribbit was from 2005 and was sold to BT for a hundred million. That’s absolutely bonkers. What in the world were they doing in the accelerator? That is insane in the membrane. Same with others. Disappointing.

]]> By: Sanity http://austinstartup.com/2009/03/accelerator-and-the-winners-if-you-can-call-it-that/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Sanity Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:42:57 +0000 http://www.austinstartup.com/?p=1155#comment-532 FYI - the Weardrobe competitor is http://pfash.com/, although it hasn't really been very active over the last year and its creator has moved on to other things since. FYI – the Weardrobe competitor is http://pfash.com/, although it hasn’t really been very active over the last year and its creator has moved on to other things since.

]]> By: Confused http://austinstartup.com/2009/03/accelerator-and-the-winners-if-you-can-call-it-that/comment-page-1/#comment-531 Confused Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:36:03 +0000 http://www.austinstartup.com/?p=1155#comment-531 I could be wrong, and have not researched the follow up point as to product launch timing... but I thought the Accelerator was product specific as opposed to company specific? Not sure the age of the Company was in fact a criteria. Also confused about the reference to Ian Clarke's fiancee, probably because I simply do not know that reference. But is the implication that a winner must have not simply a new product, a never seen before product? By this thinking I guess Google's search not have been able to win either, since Yahoo! had already done search? Maybe I could see this being a valid point in the "Innovative Web Technologies" category, but wasn't Weardrobe was in the "Social Networking Applications" category? I'm all for "ditching the valley and heading for the hills," don't get me wrong - but also grateful for the CA (and other) participants and judges who made it a strong competition and conference. I could be wrong, and have not researched the follow up point as to product launch timing… but I thought the Accelerator was product specific as opposed to company specific? Not sure the age of the Company was in fact a criteria.

Also confused about the reference to Ian Clarke’s fiancee, probably because I simply do not know that reference. But is the implication that a winner must have not simply a new product, a never seen before product? By this thinking I guess Google’s search not have been able to win either, since Yahoo! had already done search? Maybe I could see this being a valid point in the “Innovative Web Technologies” category, but wasn’t Weardrobe was in the “Social Networking Applications” category?

I’m all for “ditching the valley and heading for the hills,” don’t get me wrong – but also grateful for the CA (and other) participants and judges who made it a strong competition and conference.

]]> By: Ben Kuo http://austinstartup.com/2009/03/accelerator-and-the-winners-if-you-can-call-it-that/comment-page-1/#comment-530 Ben Kuo Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:09:05 +0000 http://www.austinstartup.com/?p=1155#comment-530 The issue with events like this is that there's a huge, social- and familiarity- aspect to who wins. That is, the judges tend to vote for companies they are familiar with, who they know about, have used, etc. That's why you'll note that all of the winners were not only from California -- they were all from Silicon Valley, because the startups there usually are well known, have probably pitched the venture capitalists in the judging panel, and get a lot more news coverage than the new, non-Silicon Valley companies. I don't have firsthand knowledge of SXSW Accelerator, but in my past experience (unfortunately) the companies judges know best tend to be the ones who walk away with the prizes. The issue with events like this is that there’s a huge, social- and familiarity- aspect to who wins. That is, the judges tend to vote for companies they are familiar with, who they know about, have used, etc. That’s why you’ll note that all of the winners were not only from California — they were all from Silicon Valley, because the startups there usually are well known, have probably pitched the venture capitalists in the judging panel, and get a lot more news coverage than the new, non-Silicon Valley companies. I don’t have firsthand knowledge of SXSW Accelerator, but in my past experience (unfortunately) the companies judges know best tend to be the ones who walk away with the prizes.

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