[conartist6]

It's been my username for 20 years and I'm not changing it to be more corpo-propriate now. I think it makes more sense if you know that my name is Conrad.

It's pretty easy to find out who I am in the real world too. For one thing I'm a private pilot and for 10 years I had an airplane personally registered to me, making my name and address a matter of (open) public record.

[buffington]

> I'm not changing it to be more corpo-propriate now.

Look, I'm not wanting to be rude here, and this is obviously all hypothetical since you're likely not actively pitching to investors, but if you were, being stubborn in this way would be a deal breaker for me as an investor.

I see all the reasons you have for keeping it, and they're reasonable, but the mere idea that that's a hill you're willing to die on is a red flag. I'd see this as one of many potential points of friction. Where else will you choose to not make compromises?

Maybe it's not rational on my part, but you're trying to convince irrational entities to part with their money.

You could look at it this way: if someone offered $17M to change it, would you?

[conartist6]

I kind of am actively pitching to investors at this point.

I wouldn't say the username is a hill to die on. I can't hide that this is the online identity I used while working on this project. Trying to hide it would just feel sketchier, no?

And yeah, for 17 mil I'm willing to talk about most anything, but I still see a conversation with investors like going on a date. The red flags can go both ways...

[fragmede]

Bro.

[conartist6]

I can be a real bastard can't I! My fear is just gone though. I've worked too hard to be afraid.

[compiler-guy]

I don't blame you for not wanting to change your name.

But fundraising is a game to be played, and part of playing the game is building credibility with VCs. It may be that a quirky name helps with that, but probably not.

From the classic baseball movie Bull Durham, where the old veteran is explaining to the newbie how to be successful:

"Your shower shoes have fungus on them. You'll never make it to the bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press'll think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob."

If you already have a track record, then you can have a quirky name or personality. Until then, you've got to play the game.

[beambot]

No pilot has ever been a con artist...

[NewsaHackO]

I agree completely. However, this mentality is why honest people like you get pushed to the sidelines, and manufactured, perfect imaged, 1000+ referenced in LinkedIn types are more successful in getting VC funding. If this is seriously your goal, you are going to have to play the game. Remember, even when perfectly playing the game in your position you will likely fail. If this is what you want to do, do you want to be taken out of the running for something like a username?

[conartist6]

I'm mystified by this argument, that the best way for me to play the game is how others are playing it. Investors don't all make the same bet, nor do they want to, so I'm going to do what only I can do.

Sure some people will rule me out for superficial reasons, but I also get some benefit in screening out people who want to kick the tires but aren't interested in building a real relationship, just like companies do when they screen job candidates.

[NewsaHackO]

Your analogy is telling. Would you consider your position closer to a company hiring for a job, or a homeless person asking someone for money?

[conartist6]

The gist of the Mythical Man Month is that if you don't give time there are some things in engineering that no amount of money can buy.

I may not have any money at the moment, but what I do have cannot be bought.