Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

In our Fast Talk series, innovators and entrepreneurs answer questions about making good products and breaking bad news. David Cohen, founder and CEO of the prestigious accelerator TechStars, discusses his approach to telling entrepreneurs they didn't make the cut, or worse... The pioneering technology accelerator TechStars did something for its own business rather than the fledgling companies in its program last week, raising $24 million in venture funding (bringing their total to $34 million) from some 75 venture funds and angel investors.

Two years ago, when I first wrote about accelerator funds, they were something of a curiosity. Give a team of smart engineers enough money—usually between $15,000 and $50,000—to keep them in ramen and air mattresses, mentor them, and then put them in front of investors.