Comments on: My story and support for the Founders Visa http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/ Funding and support for concept and seed stage startups. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:19:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Somnath http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Somnath Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:16:05 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-499 Hello Manu , Thanks for the wonderful read. It was just what I was looking for. I still have 2 to 3 years more to go for my PhD program (yes I am a F1 visa holder), and I have an American friend who is willing to partner with me on a startup. Now as you have mentioned that F1 visa holders can own businesses as long as they don't draw a salary, my question would be that what kind of a company should we try to start ? In my search for answers some forums have discussions about LLC type corporations. What are your opinions ? Thanks Hello Manu ,

Thanks for the wonderful read. It was just what I was looking for. I still have 2 to 3 years more to go for my PhD program (yes I am a F1 visa holder), and I have an American friend who is willing to partner with me on a startup. Now as you have mentioned that F1 visa holders can own businesses as long as they don’t draw a salary, my question would be that what kind of a company should we try to start ? In my search for answers some forums have discussions about LLC type corporations. What are your opinions ?

Thanks

]]> By: Ayush http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Ayush Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:45:04 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-498 Manu, thank you for sharing your story. I love your definition of entrepreneurship (insane perseverance in the face of complete resistance) and am very inspired by your post. Look forward to staying in touch! Manu, thank you for sharing your story. I love your definition of entrepreneurship (insane perseverance in the face of complete resistance) and am very inspired by your post. Look forward to staying in touch!

]]> By: K9 Ventures » Blog Archive » The truth about the Startup Visa http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-299 K9 Ventures » Blog Archive » The truth about the Startup Visa Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:21:47 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-299 [...] a student visa, and decided to stay to start a company (for the full story, see my previous post on My Story and Support for the Founders Visa). I had nine months of practical training left to get the company going. If it succeeded, I still [...] [...] a student visa, and decided to stay to start a company (for the full story, see my previous post on My Story and Support for the Founders Visa). I had nine months of practical training left to get the company going. If it succeeded, I still [...]

]]> By: The Startup Visa Organization | artificial ignorance http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-293 The Startup Visa Organization | artificial ignorance Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:50:13 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-293 [...] Manu is an investor based in the Silicon Valley. Manu is an immigrant and has a great story of being a successful entrepreneur turned VC: from My story and support for the Founders Visa [...] [...] Manu is an investor based in the Silicon Valley. Manu is an immigrant and has a great story of being a successful entrepreneur turned VC: from My story and support for the Founders Visa [...]

]]> By: Suresh Krishna http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-257 Suresh Krishna Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:38:27 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-257 Great writeup Manu. A very inspiring story for many aspirants. Especially these days (this is Feb 2010) many talented (future Entrepreneurs) people are struggling for the status and loosing the focus on what they want to create. In the 6 years of H1-B no one knows who would fire them and if at all they will get another Job. If this bill passes, US will definitely see more and more innovation and start ups for sure. For all that matters US is land of opportunity. Founders VISA should pass. Great writeup Manu. A very inspiring story for many aspirants.

Especially these days (this is Feb 2010) many talented (future Entrepreneurs) people are struggling for the status and loosing the focus on what they want to create. In the 6 years of H1-B no one knows who would fire them and if at all they will get another Job. If this bill passes, US will definitely see more and more innovation and start ups for sure.

For all that matters US is land of opportunity. Founders VISA should pass.

]]> By: manu http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-255 manu Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:53:07 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-255 @vijay: First, I have nothing against an entrepreneur or founder who wants to start a laundromat or a hotel. They are businesses in their own right, they still face a lot of the same problems for building a business and the entrepreneurs who do such business deserve the same amount of respect as the next tech startup. The Startup Visa proposal is contingent on getting financing from a) a qualified Venture Capital firm or b) a qualified super angel. In addition, it is also contingent on the company creating jobs. Can this be abused? Yes, it probably can -- because people will always find loopholes in the system. Like they have with the H-1B or with the EB-5 already. The abuse for these categories has already been widespread. However, IMHO, the <a href="http://startupvisa.com/modified-eb5-visa/" rel="nofollow">Startup Visa proposal</a> stipulates conditions that the entrepreneurs must meet. If they meet those conditions, they it is a valid business that creates jobs here in the US. I don't see any reason why anyone who meets those conditions should be excluded. That said, I am in favor of giving the top 10% of foreign students earning a bachelors, the top 25% of foreign students earning a masters, and 100% of foreign students earning a PhD from a US institution a visa/greencard stapled to their degree. As Eric Schmidt said (see my <a href="http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/10/stanford-roundtable-discussion-on-us-immigration-policy-startupvisa/" rel="nofollow">next post</a>) we bring the smartest people to the US, educate them and then tell them to leave. How silly is that!? @vijay: First, I have nothing against an entrepreneur or founder who wants to start a laundromat or a hotel. They are businesses in their own right, they still face a lot of the same problems for building a business and the entrepreneurs who do such business deserve the same amount of respect as the next tech startup.

The Startup Visa proposal is contingent on getting financing from a) a qualified Venture Capital firm or b) a qualified super angel. In addition, it is also contingent on the company creating jobs. Can this be abused? Yes, it probably can — because people will always find loopholes in the system. Like they have with the H-1B or with the EB-5 already. The abuse for these categories has already been widespread. However, IMHO, the Startup Visa proposal stipulates conditions that the entrepreneurs must meet. If they meet those conditions, they it is a valid business that creates jobs here in the US. I don’t see any reason why anyone who meets those conditions should be excluded.

That said, I am in favor of giving the top 10% of foreign students earning a bachelors, the top 25% of foreign students earning a masters, and 100% of foreign students earning a PhD from a US institution a visa/greencard stapled to their degree. As Eric Schmidt said (see my next post) we bring the smartest people to the US, educate them and then tell them to leave. How silly is that!?

]]> By: vijay http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-254 vijay Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:56:43 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-254 Very interesting and quite inspiring. You have been to hell and back, haven't you! This founder's visa thing might be abused, however. I mean, if i set up a laundromat, who's to say otherwise? There's already a business investor's visa apparently (you need to start a business with greater than 10 people, and a lot of gujarati hotel owners and chinese laundromat types try to fit in this one). If you discriminate against would be laundromat owners, how could you tell? You might have read of Indians going off to australia to be hairdressers via a hairdresser's academy or whatever, so that they can stay on as hairdressers there. I mean, you may have to fairly restrictive. The "founder" must have an advanced american engineering degree, or a degree from a "foreign distinguished institution" (designated as such by some body in the U.S) and the amount of Venture capital greater than X$ (i.e, Y!Combinator piggy/peanut banks not qualified). Very interesting and quite inspiring. You have been to hell and back, haven’t you!
This founder’s visa thing might be abused, however. I mean, if i set up a laundromat, who’s to say otherwise? There’s already a business investor’s visa apparently (you need to start a business with greater than 10 people, and a lot of gujarati hotel owners and chinese laundromat types try to fit in this one).
If you discriminate against would be laundromat owners, how could you tell? You might have read of Indians going off to australia to be hairdressers via a hairdresser’s academy or whatever, so that they can stay on as hairdressers there.
I mean, you may have to fairly restrictive. The “founder” must have an advanced american engineering degree, or a degree from a “foreign distinguished institution” (designated as such by some body in the U.S) and the amount of Venture capital greater than X$ (i.e, Y!Combinator piggy/peanut banks not qualified).

]]> By: ¿Visados para Startups en Estados Unidos? | ReadWriteWeb España http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-249 ¿Visados para Startups en Estados Unidos? | ReadWriteWeb España Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:59:20 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-249 [...] contribuyentes a StartupVisa, Manu Kumar, ayuda a difundir la palabra sobre la reforma del visado relatando sus propios problemas. “Hubo muchos momentos en los que estuve a punto de tener que abandonar [...] [...] contribuyentes a StartupVisa, Manu Kumar, ayuda a difundir la palabra sobre la reforma del visado relatando sus propios problemas. “Hubo muchos momentos en los que estuve a punto de tener que abandonar [...]

]]> By: Attracting Foreign Startups: Access To U.S. Could Get Easier – multimediaDev http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Attracting Foreign Startups: Access To U.S. Could Get Easier – multimediaDev Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:27:55 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-248 [...] of StartupVisa’s contributors, Manu Kumar, helps spread the word about visa reform by recounting his own struggles. “There were multiple points at which I came very close to having to leave [...] [...] of StartupVisa’s contributors, Manu Kumar, helps spread the word about visa reform by recounting his own struggles. “There were multiple points at which I came very close to having to leave [...]

]]> By: Attracting Foreign Startups: Access To U.S. Could Get Easier | google android os blog http://www.k9ventures.com/2009/09/my-story-and-support-for-the-founders-visa/comment-page-1/#comment-247 Attracting Foreign Startups: Access To U.S. Could Get Easier | google android os blog Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:50:12 +0000 http://www.k9ventures.com/?p=468#comment-247 [...] of StartupVisa’s contributors, Manu Kumar, helps spread the word about visa reform by recounting his own struggles. “There were multiple points at which I came very close to having to leave [...] [...] of StartupVisa’s contributors, Manu Kumar, helps spread the word about visa reform by recounting his own struggles. “There were multiple points at which I came very close to having to leave [...]

]]>