I worked in VC. I’m now helping entrepreneurs build businesses without raising money

The 3 myths that founders chasing VC believe

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

I remember that first week in my MBA programme really well. I was attending a ‘careers in Finance’ presentation, and that was the first time I ever heard the term Venture Capital. I decided right then and there that that was what I wanted to do once I graduated.

And that’s what I did, and I absolutely loved it. I interacted with smart, passionate entrepreneurs almost daily and got great insights into the tech spaces I was covering.

But I also got to see how this whole start-up, fundraising scene is over-hyped and might in a lot of cases be working against founders.

Fundraising isn’t for every entrepreneur. In fact, it’s not for most and I’d argue that a lot of start-ups who’ve raised money could’ve done without.

Yet a lot of entrepreneurs embark on this fundraising journey dead sure that that’s the way to go, and see a successful fundraise as a symbol that they’ve made it.

But here are the myths a lot of founders believe as they chase VCs looking to become the next unicorn :

1. You need money if you want to grow :