Startups have started to see the value in branding, design, and storytelling. Those are things you learn in the agency world. The thing about ad agencies that

Startups have started to see the value in branding, design, and storytelling. Those are things you learn in the agency world. The thing about ad agencies that startups don't like is their lack of accountability. If an ad campaign doesn't increase sales, the agency says to the client "hey, no biggie, we increased brand awareness". That kind of measurement is dangerous at a startup. And if you've worked in that environment for the past 10 years, I could see a VC being concerned that you don't know how to "hustle". But if you have a product with traction, that trumps everything.