Most founders walk into investor meetings selling a product. That’s the first mistake.
I’ve sat across from hundreds of founders over the years—at pitch events, in my DMs, at industry conferences. And I see the same pattern: a polished deck, a well-rehearsed TAM slide, and a founder who can tell me everything about their product but almost nothing about why they, specifically, are the right person to build it.
Let me be direct: I don’t invest in products. I invest in people.
The Pitch That Actually Works
When I was building Su-Kam, I didn’t have a perfect product on day one. What I had was a conviction that inverter technology could change how India lived—that 600 million people dealing with daily power cuts deserved better. That conviction carried us through factory failures, supplier defaults, and eventually a bankruptcy that would have broken most people.
The founders who earn my attention are the ones who carry that same irrational conviction. Not blind optimism—but the kind of clarity that comes from having lived inside a problem so long that they can’t imagine doing anything else.
The Slide That Tells Me Everything
In a pitch deck, the slide I look at first is not the financials. It is the “Why Us” slide.
Most founders treat it as an afterthought. Three bullet points: “10 years of industry experience,” “ex-Google engineer,” “passionate team.” That tells me nothing.
What I want to see: What specific pain have you personally suffered that only you could see? What have you already tried and failed at—and what did that teach you? Why would this market rather have you solve it than anyone else?
The founders who answer those questions honestly—even when the answers are uncomfortable—are the ones I keep talking to.
What I Learned Coming Back With Su-vastika
After Su-Kam’s bankruptcy, when I started building Su-vastika in power electronics and IoT, I made one deliberate choice: only bring in people and capital from those who understood why this company existed—not just what it sold.
That discipline cost me faster growth at times. But every person around the table—investor, co-founder, advisor—rows in the same direction. For an early-stage company navigating uncertainty, that alignment is not a luxury. It is oxygen.
Three Things I Look For in Every Founder
1. Are they honest about what they don’t know? Overconfidence is the most common founder failure mode. The best ones are almost unnervingly self-aware about their gaps.
2. Have they already done something hard? Not necessarily a previous exit—a failed startup, a difficult pivot, building from zero in a resource-constrained environment. Hardship is a credential.
3. Do they treat investors as partners or ATMs? Founders who only reach out when they need something are a red flag. The best ones treat advisors as sounding boards before there’s a term sheet on the table.
An Open Invitation
If you are a founder preparing to raise—or already in the middle of a round—send me your “Why Us” slide. I will give you honest feedback. Not a diplomatic response, but the direct read I’d give you sitting across the table.
My DMs are open. Let’s see what you’ve built.
#Mentorship #Entrepreneurship
