“VCs look for Startups going after a Big Market with a Passionate
Team and have an ‘unfair advantage’.”
vs
“A startup is an organization built to search for a repeatable and
scalable business model.”
If the organization does not yet have a viable business model, how
can it have an “unfair advantage”?
“VCs take pure equity risk and, as long as the business pans out
fine, their interests are perfectly aligned with that of the
entrepreneurs.”
vs
“VCs bury ‘Dangerous Bombs in Share Holders Agreements’ and unless
you ‘diffuse them’, they will take away all the spoils.”
Conundrums? Myths?
Certainly Quite Puzzling Questions to an Entrepreneur Seeking the
First Round of VC funding.
the best way to learn anything – that sticks – is through stories.
Call it Case Study or Mythology or Grandma’s Tales.
Stories Stick. And they bring clarity to seemingly complex issues.
If only I’d paid proper attention to Grandma’s tale of a guy who
brought together an army of monkeys (and other assorted creatures)
to cross an ocean and conquer an island, I would have probably
learnt for keeps that Leadership is about inspiring “ordinary folks”
– by setting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, personal example and smart
tactics – to achieve “extraordinary results”. The same story also
had a bear pep talking a monkey into “realizing his true potential”
and taking a “test marketing” leap across the ocean (to ensure that
the big battle was going to be worthwhile).
Great. Back to VC Fund Raising.
Where are the Answers to those Tricky Questions?
In Stories!
From Master Entrepreneurs who have fought the good fights and
have not only survived, but thrived, to tell their
tales.
They’re Lined Up – Only on March 6 at Mumbai – to show the
path at the APEX’14 Summit, India’s Premier
Investor-Entrepreneur Interface. In Detail. With Drama.
So that you’ll never forget.
Are you ready to get armed for the tough-but-definitely-
climb to startup success?
Arun
