VCs want a specific kind of entrepreneur. You might need to face up to the fact that, generalizations aside, they don't need you or me, despite the fact that we are entrepreneurs. Similarly, as admirable as it is to get a local small business off the ground, all the rationalization in the world isn't going to get Fred Wilson to fund your favorite pizza shop. Try convincing the owner to make grilled cheese, instead.
You might also pay careful attention to what Joshua Schacter is telling you about how VCs look at content businesses, because all the HN comments in the world aren't going to change the fact that it's hard to get funded with a business model that has become unpopular among VCs.
But on the other hand, like I've said ad nauseum: if you can go it alone without VC, I agree that you should. We did; we've been growing at a steady clip since 2005, and not chasing VC is (by unanimous consent among the founders) one of the better decisions we made.
I'll say it yet again: there are a lot of things to complain about with the VC model. I just don't buy that what they choose to fund is one of those things. If VC won't put money into something that is obviously a strong bet, that should be an exploitable market inefficiency; a place to build up market power and differentiation without competing with 10 me-too valley shoot-the-moon built-to-flip startups.
You might also pay careful attention to what Joshua Schacter is telling you about how VCs look at content businesses, because all the HN comments in the world aren't going to change the fact that it's hard to get funded with a business model that has become unpopular among VCs.
But on the other hand, like I've said ad nauseum: if you can go it alone without VC, I agree that you should. We did; we've been growing at a steady clip since 2005, and not chasing VC is (by unanimous consent among the founders) one of the better decisions we made.
I'll say it yet again: there are a lot of things to complain about with the VC model. I just don't buy that what they choose to fund is one of those things. If VC won't put money into something that is obviously a strong bet, that should be an exploitable market inefficiency; a place to build up market power and differentiation without competing with 10 me-too valley shoot-the-moon built-to-flip startups.
Good luck with your thing!