I think that VCs seem to look heavily for patterns. Partially because they can't take the time to evaluate too much of the deal (it's already possibly a product

I think that VCs seem to look heavily for patterns. Partially because they can't take the time to evaluate too much of the deal (it's already possibly a product or business model that's never existed before) so they tend to read unusual, out-of-pattern stuff as higher, non-understandable risk. Often "that's the way it's always been done" ends up like that because someone, somewhere got burned. Not an excuse but often the reason.