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I see fundraising as having the same dynamics as dating or job hunting. If someone wants to date you or hire you, they will make an effort. They will respond q

I see fundraising as having the same dynamics as dating or job hunting. If someone wants to date you or hire you, they will make an effort. They will respond quickly. They make genuine counter-offers ("How about Monday instead?"). If they are lukewarm, they will string you along and eventually fade. They will never make counter-offers, just reject your offers and let you make the next one ("I can't on Tuesday"). If they are not interested, they won't reply in the first place. When someone wants you it's obvious. And when they don't, it's obvious by omission. It's sad that it took me so much time and heartache to work this out.

danenania 8y ago
Yep, this is why people who are really good at this advise a breadth-first search that very quickly narrows in on the people who show real enthusiasm. Though it can be hard to accept when you're in the thick of fundraising, anything less than obvious enthusiasm is a no 99.9% of the time. Think about it from the other side: if you were seriously considering making a company one of the few per year that you give millions of dollars, would you ignore their emails or cancel meetings at the last minute or sound bored on the phone? Investors get just as excited about a company they like as founders do about an interested investor or potential big customer.
joering2 8y ago
You realize some or many people are disgenuine - why you being sad? Isn’t it great that now you know and you can recognize this quickly and take advantage of what you know and quickly move forward?
nl 8y ago
This is true up to a point. But VCs keep stringing people along because they don't want to miss out at some point in the future if the business takes off. That's different to dating or hiring (generally speaking).
- jacques_chester 8y ago
  I take it you've never experienced the sudden reappearance of someone after their first romantic choice fell through.
  - nl 8y ago
    Sure. Hence the "generally speaking".

danenania 8y ago

Yep, this is why people who are really good at this advise a breadth-first search that very quickly narrows in on the people who show real enthusiasm. Though it can be hard to accept when you're in the thick of fundraising, anything less than obvious enthusiasm is a no 99.9% of the time. Think about it from the other side: if you were seriously considering making a company one of the few per year that you give millions of dollars, would you ignore their emails or cancel meetings at the last minute or sound bored on the phone? Investors get just as excited about a company they like as founders do about an interested investor or potential big customer.

joering2 8y ago

You realize some or many people are disgenuine - why you being sad? Isn’t it great that now you know and you can recognize this quickly and take advantage of what you know and quickly move forward?

nl 8y ago

This is true up to a point. But VCs keep stringing people along because they don't want to miss out at some point in the future if the business takes off. That's different to dating or hiring (generally speaking).

jacques_chester 8y ago
I take it you've never experienced the sudden reappearance of someone after their first romantic choice fell through.
- nl 8y ago
  Sure. Hence the "generally speaking".