Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup

Chapter 83. So You Want to Start TechStars in Your City?

David Cohen

David is a co-founder and the CEO of TechStars.

When I wrote this in early 2010, TechStars had been approached by serious representatives of more than 50 U.S. entrepreneurial communities that wanted to bring TechStars (or something modeled on it) to their city. This has been amazingly flattering and we've tried to help these folks however we can.

Part of helping has been having an open source philosophy about TechStars. We've published our complete results (see techstars.org/results), our seed financing documents (see techstars.org/docs), and have blogged and been interviewed extensively about our philosophy and approach to TechStars.

Earlier in this book, you read about our belief that quality trumps quantity. We could have built a franchise model and pumped out dozens of programs all over the United States. However, our belief was that we could not do this and maintain the same level of quality that we have had historically. We believe that others will replicate our mentorship-driven approach, and that this is generally a very good thing for entrepreneurship in the United States. That's why we're happy to be helpful, especially when we believe these efforts are credible.

I've said in several public interviews that I'll run TechStars forever as long as it doesn't lose money. Nothing is more gratifying. But rest assured, ...