At this point it probably helps, but I've been doing this for 6 years now and had zero brand/reputation when I started. I started w/$25k angel checks in 2013, q

At this point it probably helps, but I've been doing this for 6 years now and had zero brand/reputation when I started. I started w/$25k angel checks in 2013, quickly realized I wouldn't be able to afford that for more than a little while, and moved to $10k by 2014. So the reputation might help now, but I don't think it mattered in 2014, and people would still take my $10k checks back then.