Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. It was absolutely gut wrenching. We had over 1700 applications, we narrowed it down to about 40ish, and then picked the final class from there. It took us FOREVER to decide this round – lots of debates back and forth between myself and Eugene. There were so many teams we fell in love with, there were so many projects we fell in love with, and I think today I just realized what my least favorite part of my job is. SAYING NO. I absolutely hate telling an entrepreneur no, I really want to help all of them.
I take these decisions very seriously – and for those that were not selected for this next class – know that I love what you’re doing, I think you have what it takes. I deeply and sincerely thank you for your time and energy. And my best outcome for you (other than landing in another TechStars program!) is that you kick total ass and prove my decision wrong.
While this should be a joyous day for me… looking forward to what the future holds… today I’m going to just be sad and disappointed for a while.
Nearly Nicole 
RT @nglaros: Gut wrenching decisions: Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. http://t.co/zw5g2sXTOv
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RT @nglaros: Gut wrenching decisions: Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. http://t.co/zw5g2sXTOv
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RT @nglaros: Gut wrenching decisions: Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. http://t.co/zw5g2sXTOv
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RT @nglaros: Gut wrenching decisions: Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. http://t.co/zw5g2sXTOv
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RT @nglaros: Gut wrenching decisions: Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. http://t.co/zw5g2sXTOv
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@nglaros any stats on companies that weren’t picked and how they ended up? That’d be interesting to see.
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I bet it is really hard. But, at least, maybe you can take a nap now.
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@nglaros very kind and heartfelt. Thanks 🙂
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Thanks for this note, Nicole. Means a lot to know how personally you take making this decision. After receiving the news that we were not one of the selects from the final 40, to be totally honest, my heart fell into my stomach. We wanted it so badly we could taste it. Passing the news to my team was harder than I thought it was going to be. The looks on their faces …
BUT, I understand that we, as entrepreneurs, cannot take things too personally – which is tough to say when there’s nothing more personal than starting your own business. But rejection is part of the game and so we must learn, grow, and forge ahead… all while keeping our heads up and standing tall.
Going through this experience at TechStars was a great one for us and we truly appreciate your consideration and the time you took to get to know us. I know this won’t be the last time our paths cross… in the meantime, I will be rooting for you and all the teams involved in the NYC program and look forward to following your progress.
Thanks again from all of us at NewlyWish.
Best,
Amanda
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@nglaros we feel it too… dicaprio & travis frm @fireplugapp will be @sxsw time to meet? if not, can we G-hangout to chat pre-3/14?
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I can’t even imagine how hard that must be! Do you keep in touch with any of those companies afterwards? Or not until next years application process… 🙂
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Don’t worry Nicole. The best startups aren’t going anywhere. Time is the ultimate filtering system. See you in a couple of months 😉
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Help me get into Boulder if you think we might be a fit. 🙂 @elof
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