Comments on: Re: Why startups shouldn’t have to pay to pitch angel investors http://pluggio.com/blog/?p=41 Justin Vincent Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:05:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Josh http://pluggio.com/blog/?p=41&cpage=1#comment-52 Josh Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:42:18 +0000 http://tweetminer.net/blog/?p=41#comment-52 There's a difference between paying fees to a conference in order to attend and in someone who is a potential investor in your startup charging you money to let you pitch. In the first, you are receiving value -- attending an entire conference in which you can network, attend panels, etc. In the second, you are giving angels an opportunity to invest in your company. Coming out of Hollywood, there are similar leechy companies that charge you money. As Jason mentioned, there are some "talent agents" that charge you money for acting lessons, headshots, etc. And there are people that do that for wannabe screenwriters and directors as well. If someone is investing in you, they give you money. You don't give them money. Simple as that. VC firms don't charge you to pitch them. Banks don't generally charge you either. There’s a difference between paying fees to a conference in order to attend and in someone who is a potential investor in your startup charging you money to let you pitch. In the first, you are receiving value — attending an entire conference in which you can network, attend panels, etc. In the second, you are giving angels an opportunity to invest in your company.

Coming out of Hollywood, there are similar leechy companies that charge you money. As Jason mentioned, there are some “talent agents” that charge you money for acting lessons, headshots, etc. And there are people that do that for wannabe screenwriters and directors as well.

If someone is investing in you, they give you money. You don’t give them money. Simple as that.

VC firms don’t charge you to pitch them. Banks don’t generally charge you either.

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