Silicon Valley VC, Steve Schlafman on getting congratulatory messages for investing in a startup.
Let’s be honest for a second, fundraising news drives page views for the tech blogs, makes companies feel validated, helps investors build their brands, and can even intimidate the competition. There’s no denying that raising money is an important milestone in a company’s lifecycle. But dollars in the bank is far from the most important metric. I like to remind my founders that cash is oxygen for their startup — it buys time and space to breathe. But money alone cannot buy victory. That would be like Sir Edmund Hillary celebrating before reaching the summit of Everest based solely on his vast store of supplies.
On the entrepreneur side, this also translates to “don’t congratulate me for raising funding”.
But we’re not gonna stop, are we? 