I live in Maui and there is something called Blue Startups here with a deadline of late July. It's similar to YC but based in Honolulu, there is a week in SF involved at the end.<p>I'm a solo founder, for now. I will change this when the time is right but for now, it's best to work solo and keep overhead low.<p>Applying to Blue Startups makes sense to me because of the strategic possibilities for a travel app connecting Asia and the Americas.<p>Just thought I'd ask here before putting time into my application and making sure my demo is solid.
From the context of a technical founder:<p>If you have zero experience running a business from an operational standpoint, i.e., incorporation, accounting, taxes, contracts, then an accelerator can offer valuable help so that you can have "one less thing" to worry about.<p>Apart from that, the most important thing is the terms of the deal they'll make with you. For example and as a general rule of thumb, more than 10% of your company for less than $100k is something you should reconsider, especially if you are in the US.<p>The reputation of the accelerator is also important. YC, 500, Techstars, AngelPad are all renowned brands. Study their portfolio companies to understand what their investment thesis and success rate are.<p>In general, my opinion is that getting into an accelerator can be very valuable for first time founders and if the deal they offer is good, and their track record compelling, I would do it.