Ask HN: Is OnDeck a Scam?
It looks like a typical paid networking program. The price and application process to get in gives it an air of exclusivity (or, in economic terms, scarcity). You can find similar programs in various industries and even hobbies and political movements. In some senses it&#x27;s a spin on the concept of college fraternities.<p>Whether it&#x27;s a &quot;scam&quot; is a bit subjective. There&#x27;s a decent chance that once you pay the fees, you really will be granted access to online forums and&#x2F;or chat servers and&#x2F;or IRL events with the people listed on the web site (there&#x27;s a good chance the bigger names are getting a cut of the program&#x27;s profits). However, it&#x27;s also possible to meet and interact with these sorts of people without having to pay an entry fee and join a club; look for events on LinkedIn or MeetUp or the like.