500 Startups is a seed fund and startup accelerator founded by PayPal and Google alums. Founding partner Dave McClure has been an investor in hundreds of companies, as well as a developer, entrepreneur, blogger, and self-described internet marketing nerd and troublemaker.

In the past four years, 500 Startups has made over 1,000 investments in early stage companies from all over the world. The 500 accelerator program, located in Mountain View, San Francisco, and Mexico City, emphasizes lean startup practices and metrics, design and user experience, and internet marketing and customer acquisition. To this end, the 500 team produces Weapons of Mass Distribution (WMD), a one-day conference to be held on Friday, May 1, 2015, that will teach strategies and tactics for startup growth.

Upgrade Wednesday 

The first 10 backers to upgrade to a higher-level reward tier will receive 10 comped tickets to WMD (retail value: approximately $500). We will post an update as soon as the first 10 people have upgraded. Once we have confirmed that you’ve qualified for the upgrade, you can forward your Kickstarter confirmation emails, along with any questions, to events@500.co for instructions on how to claim your complimentary tickets.

A new stretch goal: Q&A with 500 Startups' Dave McClure and me! 

If we reach 5,800 backers, all backers will be invited to participate in an hour-long Q&A with Dave McClure and me. Details forthcoming.

We’re so psyched to have Dave & the 500 team on board!

Backer-only “Ask me Anything” tomorrow, April 9th

We have the details for my upcoming hour-long AMA right here in the Kickstarter comments tomorrow, April 9th at 1:30 PM PST. It's only possible to be a part of the AMA if you are a Kickstarter backer. If you have questions about the campaign, The Leader’s Guide, the Lean Startup methodology, or anything at all, now’s your chance!

Eric