It does. Being from MN, I really admire what you're trying to do, so I don't know how to ask this nicely, so I'll just ask it... how do you justify your terms being the same as YC when your value proposition is so much less? You can't possibly argue that your network is as valuable as YC's.
Your point on network value is an excellent one, one definitely worth challenging us on. I suspect almost no accelerator in the next 5 years will touch YC's network, especially since they're right in the heart of M&A-land.
However every accelerator, except for dopey government-run ones, needs an ROI. The numbers we came up with were our attempt at a happy medium. "Price"-wise, we can be lower than others (TechWildcatters, Shotput Ventures, SproutBox, Momentum) but we also add value and perks that few others do. We also have massive pent up demand in our region.
Value prop is a tough starting point because it means different things to different people. And you know what? Maybe we'll find out our terms aren't right and we'll pivot. Just like almost every entrepreneur does on pricing.
But then again, until you can find another accelerator that is open to single founders, open to non-technical founders, provides a dev team in India to support, and that has a selection process that includes a educational mini-bootcamp...then it's a tough comparison.
No, our network isn't 1/3 as valuable as theirs (although we will have a few mentors from SV). But we've got plenty of tech entrepreneurs banging down our door so I think, for now, we're on the right path to helping them change the world.
