What Investors Don't Tell You
VCs Claim They're Founder-Friendly - Let Me Translate What That Means
“Founder-friendly” sounds warm — but it’s marketing, not truth.
Investors don’t know your name. Until Series A, you’re dot #47 on a spreadsheet. It’s not personal. It’s portfolio math.
Investors don’t know who wins. That’s why they fund five startups in one market. They’re betting on the category, not the hero. Venture isn’t faith; it’s statistics wearing optimism.
Getting funded doesn’t make you special. At pre-seed, you’re a number in a probability game. One win covers ninety-nine losses.
The real selection starts after the wire. Once money hits the bank, focus, resilience, and timing decide who survives.
They’ll remember your name only if you keep swimming while others sink. Venture capital isn’t about belief. It’s about odds. They don’t think you’re special — yet. Survive long enough, and they’ll act like they always did.
3000 opportunities processed, 40 to IC, 5 lost, 15 declined & 20 invested. 10 years later. 2 winners. 8 dead. 5 below a 1x. 5 above a 1x. Something like that. The 2 hit records carry the entire album 😉