[patio11]

It's a sign that you're entering hugely, hugely seedy territory if you ever are asked to pay to receive offers of employment, scholarships, or investment. First, many out-and-out scams operate that way. Second, if the opportunity were legitimate, there is an adverse selection risk. Meritorious candidates for employment/scholarships/investment have no interest in paying to get a chance at them, so those candidates would avoid that opportunity like the plague. The decisionmaker, if they have two brain cells to rub together, knows this and charges anyway. Why would you ever take investment from someone who had a declared policy of only entertaining pitches from the bottom of the barrel? (Plus, egads, what does that say about you to follow-on investors or other parties you need to sell?)

[gfavvas]

Agree with all these points, especially the adverse selection bias. Would you pay to apply for a job? Of course not.

Between incubators such as YC and others, hustling for intros, and Angel List, there's no reason ever to pay to pitch investors.

The ones charging $1,000-$8,000 are just robbing Peter to pay Paul. The more people they invite to pitch, the more money they make, a portion of which they will "invest" in the "winner."

These people are leeches leaches and need to be called out as such.

[whenisayUH]

Uh oh -- The downvoting has started. Feel free to do that but please explain where I'm missing the mark. Thanks.

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I'm really not sure why entrepreneurs who I'd suspect believe in free markets need to be coddled and "protected" from pay-to-pitch programs which at the end of the day are just another business - some good and some bad.

Just because you're a struggling entrepreneur doesn't mean other people shouldn't charge you or you're entitled to anything. At the end of the day, it is the entrepreneurs' choice. If you don't have the money or if the program doesn't seem legit, don't pay. And find another way to reach investors. If spending $50 or $100 gets you a credible chance at $500k of seed funding and helps accelerate your path to getting that money or getting feedback, that seems fair.

Some pay to pitch programs may add value. And some may not. If an entrepreneur learns that the hard way, so be it. Nobody ever said being an entrepreneur would be easy.

[duhoang]

It's not about being coddled, it's about exploiting entrepreneurs who are either desperate, or new to the game. We don't want to encourage that type of behavior in our community.

"entrepreneur learns that the hard way, so be it."

That attitude is like saying children should learn to look both way before crossing the street the hard way...by getting hit by a bus!

[whenisayUH]

How is anyone being exploited? You have a choice to pitch or not. It's not blackmail. It may be foolish to pitch at these events, but as far as I know, nobody is being forced into pitching or being told "you can't research this event and our track record before signing up."

[duhoang]

It's like a scam...no one is forcing you to be a victim of a scam, you just don't know better. reply

[whenisayUH]

"You don't know better." If an entrepreneur is that helpless, paying-to-pitch is the least of their problems.

[evgen]

So it's better that you get your hand in their pocket before someone smarter comes along the relieve them of that burdensome wad of seed capital?

[rmc]

It's entirely possible to exploit people without holding a gun to their head (literally or figuratively).