Well, it'll hurt your future relationship (should there be one) with the VC, which could be detrimental further down the line if they remember you. Rejection's

Well, it'll hurt your future relationship (should there be one) with the VC, which could be detrimental further down the line if they remember you. Rejection's just a matter of business, but if he refuses to refer you and doesn't have a good reason (e.g. "everyone in my network is interested in biotech, and you're a web startup") he already thinks you're a loser and beneath consideration. At this point, getting his panties in a jam by asking a question he'll find annoying is a (small) benefit.