The Unaccelerator

Real community for founders building real companies

Traditional accelerators are broken

The Funding Myth

Y Combinator gives $500K when AI tools cost $20/month. What exactly are you supposed to spend that money on?

Lost Community

200+ company cohorts destroyed the intimate community that made early YC valuable. You're just another face in the crowd.

Irrelevant Advice

Learning from founders who built companies 20 years ago with different tools? You're playing a different game entirely.

Here's what we offer instead

✗ Zero funding in exchange for 0% equity

✗ Zero fees in exchange for zero paywalls

✓ Community as valuable as you choose to make it

✓ Complete transparency about real struggles

✓ Peer-to-peer learning from founders playing the same game you are

✓ Maybe a free t-shirt

Small Communities That Actually Know Each Other

Every member knows every other member by name and has a rough idea of what they're working on. No getting lost in the crowd.

By Stage

Idea, Pre-Revenue, Early Stage, Growth

By Industry

AI/ML, SaaS, E-commerce, Creator Economy

By Region

Build local ecosystem density in your area

Community-Driven Leadership

Each community is led by experienced moderators who have real authority and responsibility:

Foster Engagement

Organize regular meetings, facilitate introductions, and create opportunities for meaningful connections

Maintain Quality

Enforce community guidelines and remove members who don't contribute positively to the group dynamic

Drive Value

Create community-building activities, workshops, and events tailored to their group's specific needs

Set the Tone

Establish cadences, expectations, and culture that make their community genuinely valuable for all members

Moderators have suggested guidelines but ultimate authority over their community's size, rules, and membership.

What to Expect

What You'll Get

  • Honest feedback from peers solving similar problems
  • Real failure stories (not just success highlights)
  • Regular community building activities
  • Direct access to founders one step ahead of you
  • No pressure to raise money or hit arbitrary milestones
  • Local networking opportunities in your region

What's Expected of You

  • Share honestly about your challenges and failures
  • Actively help other community members
  • Participate in community activities and discussions
  • Respect the small group dynamic (no spamming or self-promotion)
  • Respect community guidelines set by your moderators
  • Accept that moderators have authority to maintain group quality
  • Contribute to building a supportive ecosystem

The Full Manifesto

"Y Combinator now gives every startup $500,000. It's never been cheaper to start a company. What exactly are founders supposed to spend that money on? Both U Combinator and KY Combinator launched in the past year, despite Y Combinator being open to everyone..."
Read the Complete Manifesto

Join the Discussion

Comments are moderated to maintain quality discussion. Please keep feedback constructive and relevant.
Sarah Chen 2 hours ago
This resonates so much! I've been bootstrapping for 3 years and the peer learning aspect is exactly what's missing from most founder communities. When do you expect the first cohorts to launch?
Marcus Rodriguez 5 hours ago
The geographic inequality point is spot on. I'm in Austin and even here it feels like you need to be in SF to be taken seriously. Would love to see a regional Texas community.
Alex Kim 1 day ago
Finally someone calling out the funding paradox! Just spent $30/month on AI tools that replaced what would have been a $50k developer salary. The math doesn't add up for traditional accelerators anymore.

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