Startups

Not getting seed funding from VCs? The three reasons it’s probably personal

In a post on LinkedIn, Hunter Walk, partner at Homebrew VC, talks the big reasons why venture capitalists aren’t always honest when they turn down a pitch. One of the main reasons: At the seed stage its 99 percent personal. Here are the three personal issues Walk points to that will cause VCs to back […]

By Lindsey Alexander on September 27, 2013 11:31 am

In a post on LinkedIn, Hunter Walk, partner at Homebrew VC, talks the big reasons why venture capitalists aren’t always honest when they turn down a pitch. One of the main reasons: At the seed stage its 99 percent personal. Here are the three personal issues Walk points to that will cause VCs to back away slowly and have trouble being forthright:

1) The founders aren’t mission-driven. Get good at telling your story. If your heart doesn’t appear to be in your mission, it’s not going to excite investors.

2) There’s a hole in the team. You’re startup’s missing an essential member that the VC sees as necessary for success.

3) Lack of personal connection.

Check out his post for more in-depth on reading between the lines of VC talk for no, and why it’s a “no” instead of a yes.