In the summer of 2012, Efrem Weiss, the CEO of YouGift, a
social-media site for gift giving, relocated his startup team
from New York City to upstate New York to join a three-month
accelerator program. Like most accelerators, this one offered a
common workspace, a program of classes and seminars, access to
top business mentors, and an opportunity to pitch to investors
at a Demo Day. The founders also received $18,000 of funding, in
return for a 6 percent equity stake.  Sadly, the experience
turned into a decelerator. Mentoring sessions were group chats
over Skype in a crowded room. The office's couches looked as if
they were out of Animal House. Weiss pulled his team out two
weeks later, negotiated the return of his equity, and slunk back
to the city. He shut down the business in March 2013. He says
YouGift might have survived if he had chosen his program more
wisely.  Finding the best accelerator is challenging, but when
you choose well, entrepreneurs say, rewards can be enormous:
invaluable business advice,