What can be improved? Not people specific, but what you feel is wrong about us consistently across most conversations you've had?
Taking the easy way out using T1 education as a filter. What was the last school dropout / T3 college grad you know got funded? Doesn't impact me but its a query thats common in the ecosystem.
The Indian VCs are too risk averse & push founders into chasing the “formulaic” industries instead of trying risky new arenas. Most VCs lack imagination and want to hitch on market-space that already has some investments. It really sucks for founders trying to build products in untested waters.
Theory flow from VCs to Operators on execution. Be extremely discerning when VCs dish out operational gyaan.
I think it will get better over time
It is very pattern matching based, true. Only few partners have seen multiple companies do well over the course of their investment journeys, those people are better able to come up with newer things
Hahahaha, this should never ever happen. Theses can be dished out, because we do a lot of research. We also meet with too many companies in the same space, so some insights from that. But never operational stuff, sorry somebody did that to you
@WittyFeed Thanks for responding. Wasn't expecting it 😊 Thank you for your insights.
Hire more ex-founders. It helps get a good view of how things work operationally. Stop chasing the "hot" spaces. A vc needs to create the future, not follow the trends happening outside India.
On ex-founders, absolutely on point! I think even operators helps. We do lack empathy on how tough it is to build, have felt this myself.
On chasing 'hot' spaces, I feel the good ones know, but yes most others jump on bandwagons.
With Analysts and Associates, it’s still tough, especially those within a year of experience.
Appreciate these answers a lot @FlakyCamp75
I think Vinod Khosla has some really good opinions on above topics, I’ll consciously remember the above the next time I’m in these situations
From the founder's POV:
nowadays Vc's are harder to approach. You guys should ease up the process of connecting with founders.
And people with connections benefit most even though the thing they are building is trash (literally). I have seen such instances where someone closely related to vc gets funded or helps others get funded and takes a stake in exchange for this service.
Just my opinion. : )
Asking this on behalf of many founders like myself, wanted to collate across multiple inputs: what is it that VCs really want to hear/see from a startup?
Would love to get inputs from VCs and other founders alike - basis your experie...
Good ones look for building capabilities (read velocity) , selling capabilities, founder-product-market fit, convicti...
I'm hearing some horror stories of pressure and unreasonable expectations coming from VC's even at the seed stage. Pre and post funding.
Do you folks have stories to share about this. Especially w.r.t. interaction with associates with ...
