“CK, you’re cool, calm, and collected,” said a VC after my pitch some years ago, early in my previous company.
At the time, I took that as a compliment — though, in hindsight, it probably wasn’t 🙂
I think what he really meant was that I didn’t show as much charisma as he expected from an early-stage startup founder.
Just to be clear, I’m not exactly a quiet person; I’m outgoing and extroverted.
But I think what happened was, I was sometimes too realistic when it came to sharing potential risks and current shortcomings of the company.
Being realistic isn’t a bad thing. It shows honesty and that you’re on top of things, both good and bad.
However, be careful not to overdo it. You don’t want to come across as making too many excuses, being overly self-protective, or lacking confidence.
I’m not suggesting you become a snake oil salesman. But let’s face it: most startups are bound to fail, and sometimes it takes a dose of insanity to achieve the impossible. Investors are human too, and they want to see confidence and charisma — borderline insanity — from the founder.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did 🙂