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Finding that perfect match

9 points by nikhilkalegregg ↗ HN
I am looking for a non-technical co-founder to start a company with. I have created something I believe to be innovative and have a prototype ready to go. Unfortunately, I am also currently living in NYC- -and have already been burned a couple of times by NYC salesmen-types on business ventures in the past, and am also out of favor with the NYC VCs as well, due to my having been arrested on a possession of weed charge 5 years ago while I was in a car with 5 other people in the deep South—and then thrown into solitary confinement for a week due to a clerical error by my probation officer a few years back as well.

I consider these experiences to be character building but the VCs in NYC were so appalled by my mistakes and indignity that I was basically forced out of the company I founded. I am in the process of moving to California in the hopes of finding some more like-minded people to be around. However, I don't actually know anyone out there and am really just assuming this on the basis of common stereotype.

The questions I had were: do VCs on the West Coast tend to be more forgiving about these sorts of non-violent brushes with the law than other places (like NYC)? Or would partnering with someone who is a bit more clean-cut be a wise move regardless of my location? Will I likely run into the same issues I ran into in NYC in California regardless? If it is the case that VCs in California are as touchy about these sorts of things as those in NYC, where would you recommend finding someone charming/straight-edge enough to balance out my past indiscretions and unintentional affect? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

2 comments

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crazypyro
Why does any NYC VC care about a drug charge (unless it was a felony... in which case, your story doesn't really add up)? You seem to have a lot of excuses for why things haven't worked out and none of them include yourself as a cause... Just something to think about.
nikhilkalegregg
im absolutely the cause, and fair enough. wasn't trying to get into the whole story and I probably did provide an overly favorable context for my overly-personalized question. I did not mention that I was begrudgingly the CEO despite the fact that my partner was a good 10 years older than me and had a lot of experience in the space, whereas I had just graduated college, was a relatively unproven commodity to the VCs, and had an unresolved legal matter lingering over me, as well. I certainly made a ton of mistakes throughout the venture. It was not my intention to question or make excuses for that. I am sorry my question came across that way to you. I might just need a change in scenery!