🤔 "Bad" Accelerators?

👋 Hi there - it’s Egemen. Thanks for reading Scalable.

Today is special edition. We got 4 bangers. Massive value.

The first one is Oceans, a platform that allows you to hire quality talent, fast, globally.

The second one is Notion. As you know, I love Notion, deeply. Easily my favorite SaaS tool, used it in every startup I’ve been and introduced it to every founder I’ve worked with.

Today, we got deal with Notion for all SCALABLE readers. You can get redeem your “Notion for Startups” offer by the ⚾️ Catch section (up to $3,000 value).

You’ll get the plus plan free for 3 months, which you can extend it up to 6 months later, you also get unlimited AI credits to use.

The third one is about a deep conversation I had over the past weekend, something that a lot founders need to read.

The last one is an equity dilution & cap table tracker so you stay in control of your startup’s ownership.

Oh, it’s true. It’s all yours. Simply because you read this every week.
What a time to be alive.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s on the menu today:

💡 Spotlight

Hire the highest quality overseas talent with Oceans.

Our offshore talent has more impressive resumes than your employees. Seriously.

Most outsourced firms can’t source the type of EA who can work with a $100M executive, but Oceans can. Our EAs take over all of your backend admin and operational work, so you can focus on what actually matters: scaling your business.

Work with the firm that sources the right-hand to Morning Brew, Beehiiv, and Magic Spoon.

Get full-time, highly experienced talent for only $3,000/month.

Learn more about Oceans

Presented by

🧠 Deep-Dive: Good and Bad Accelerators

Open VC has an amazing blog that I’m a fan of - I’ve been reading their publications quite regularly for a while.

One of my favorites is a post that they regularly update, it’s called “VC Scams” - read it if you’re in it. I re-read it a few days ago for a conversation I was preparing for.

👉 Earlier this week, a couple of cofounders reached out to me, being on the fence about whether to take a deal they got offered from a VC/accelerator.

Honestly, I was asked this question throughout my career by founders from all walks of life. So here’s how you can differentiate if it’s a good accelerator, or a not-so-good one.

There are three main types:

• Venture accelerators (invest cash for equity, like YC),

• Free accelerators (government or corporate-backed, no investment), and

• Paid accelerators (charge startups for support, like Antler).

The biggest benefits include early-stage funding, access to investors and partners, and a structured environment that pushes growth. However, downsides include equity dilution, questionable mentorship quality, and costs that eat into funding.

So, be wary of:

• the fact that joining an accelerator is essentially giving equity for non-liquid services and no cash

• the dilution it’ll cause for further fundraising rounds (more crowded cap table)

• the hidden cost of relocation expenses, or even fees.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when you need to make a decision.

1. Don’t mistake it for actual funding for a service provider. If a program does not put money behind your startup, it’s simply a service provider. You’re paying for support, not receiving an investment.

2. Some founders complain about accelerator deals being unfair, but the reality is accelerators fund startups when VCs and angels won’t. The valuation may not be the best, but for many, it’s still something to get things rolling.

3. The real value of an accelerator comes from mentorship, investor access, and a strong network. For experienced founders, this might not be useful, but for first-time entrepreneurs, it can be a game-changer.

Not all accelerators deliver—some truly help startups grow, while others just overpromise and underdeliver. Make sure who you are dealing with before signing anything with anyone.

👉 Before you join a program, ask yourself: Does the accelerator invest real cash? Do alumni recommend it? Are the mentors and investors credible? A great accelerator can boost your startup, but a bad one will just drain time and equity - choose wisely.

👉 Scalable partners with best-in-class publications.
Take a look at what our readers also enjoy reading.

⚾️ Catch

Free Notion and Unlimited AI

Thousands of startups use Notion as a connected workspace to create and share docs, take notes, manage projects, and organize knowledge—all in one place. We’re offering 3 months of new Plus plans + unlimited AI (worth up to $3,000)! To redeem the Notion for Startups offer:

1. Submit an application using our custom link and select Beehiiv on the partner list.

2. Include our partner key, STARTUP4110P67801.

Learn More

🗺️ Method: Equity Dilution & Cap Table Tracker

I’ve come up with this notion template so you always know how much equity you’re giving up before it’s too late.

🙌 I hope this comes in handy for you when you need it.

☝️ Scaled This Past Week: HockeyStack (YC S23)

HockeyStack (a Turkish YC startup) raised $20M in Series A - it’s the scale of the week!

It’s a B2B marketing analytics platform that helps SaaS companies track revenue attribution across multiple channels.

HockeyStack connects marketing efforts to actual revenue, eliminating data silos and improving decision-making:

• tracks which marketing activities lead to closed deals,

• connects marketing spend to customer lifetime value (LTV), and

• works seamlessly with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Ads.

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