I rejected the investors

London investors found my open source project on GitHub last year. They reached out and said they invest in people who are consistent and build good products.

They wanted to know if I was working on something they could fund. Similar money to YC. No accelerator, no program—just capital.

After few mails I said no, thank you.

Talking to them, I realized the only thing they could offer was money. And from working at VC-backed startups before, I learned that's not enough.

The networking matters more than the check itself. Access to founders who've done it before. People with skin in the game who actually want you to succeed because it's their money on the line. Industry knowledge. Connections that open doors.

Capital alone doesn't solve the hard problems. It doesn't tell you what to build next. It doesn't introduce you to the right people. It doesn't help you avoid mistakes other founders already made.

That's why I applied to YC instead. Yes, they rejected me. But at least I know what I'm looking for—partners who bring more than just money to the table.