Reviews
Dear Founder, It is with great reluctance—and an even greater sense of duty—that I must speak of this particular investor, whose reputation precedes them like an overfunded procession, loud yet curiously hollow. To the untrained eye, they appear most impressive. Their vocabulary is rich with theses, their calendar impossibly full, and their LinkedIn presence suggests they are forever just back from Sand Hill Road. And yet, dear Founder, one must look not at what is promised in the drawing room, but what is delivered once the doors are closed. For this VC is a master of courtship without commitment. Meetings are plentiful, enthusiasm flows freely, and assurances are offered with a warmth that could melt even the most hardened cap table. But when the moment arrives to act—when conviction is required—the silence is positively deafening. They ask for traction they cannot define, for vision they cannot articulate, and for humility they themselves do not possess. They speak often of founder empathy, yet bristle at the slightest resistance, mistaking thoughtful disagreement for insolence. A partnership, they insist, but only on their terms. One cannot help but notice their particular fondness for optics. They adore the announcement more than the aftermath, the tweet more than the toil. Should your company flourish, they will arrive promptly to remind all present of their early belief. Should it falter, however, they will vanish faster than a follow-on check in a tightening market. And yet, dear Founder, the true danger lies not in malice—but in mediocrity masquerading as wisdom. This investor is not cruel, merely incurious. Not foolish, merely unbrave. They will not ruin your company outright; they will simply fail to help when it matters most. So take heed. Choose not the loudest voice in the ballroom, nor the one most eager to be seen beside you. Seek instead the investor who stays when the music ends, who asks fewer questions yet takes greater risks, and who understands that building something enduring requires more than pattern matching and polite applause. For in this most unforgiving of seasons, dear Founder, indifference is far more dangerous than rejection. Yours in candor, Lord Follow-On