The Dos and Don'ts of Using a Well-Known Business Accelerator

Accelerators are an amazing way for entrepreneurs to learn the ropes of launching (and running) a business while also gaining valuable connections. That is, if the founders select the right one for their needs. Participating in the Techstars Boston accelerator program has had a profound effect on the success of Moritz Plassnig’s company Codeship, a developer-tool business. In the article below, he offers some smart advice on using elite accelerators like Y Combinator and Techstars.

“I made vital connections, expanded my local network, received excellent advice and increased my work ethic due to long hours of training sessions, demonstration preparations and mentorship meetings,” Plassnig says. “By the time my team and I graduated from the program, we had attracted local investors and were on our way to receiving our Series A funding. This probably wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for Techstars, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity. But all accelerator programs are not created equal.”

Here’s how to make sure you get the most out of yours:

5 Questions to Decide If You Need a Business Partner

When you write as much as I do you get barraged with people who want to partner with you. Most are hucksters who see that you have a capability that they lack and see the sales potential for it, although they don’t have any customers per se. Others think I have money that I want to invest in a hair-brained scheme with someone I don’t know. These things happen so often that I am reminded of advice given to me many times over the years: don’t have a business partner.