You know how you would never have your next door neighbor perform a coronary artery bypass procedure on you? How you always strive to get advice from people who actually know what they are talking about?
Funny enough — Incubator-Lala-Land is full of people running these programs who never, ever built and ran their own companies. People who never had their company be everything they do. People who never had to stretch their credit card, borrow money from friends and family, mortgage their house to make payroll. People who never woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, not knowing what to do next.
No. Lala-Land is full of people who believe they have all the answers as they have read Eric’ Lean Startup book or who have a sweet, warm MBA from Stanford.
Don’t get me wrong. They are still good people. And generally they mean well. But they just don’t know. They can’t. Nobody can if they haven’t been there.
Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs. Find people who have been entrepreneurs (ideally more than once) and make them your trusted inner circle. Create your own network.
And when you apply for an incubator — ask them if they actually know what they are talking about.