Trust - What's it Worth?

Trust > Ideas & Money

Ideas are infinite, and in the absence of competent execution, they are worth nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Conversely, money in pursuit of outsized returns is plentiful. Thus, if both ideas and money are abundant, what is the scarce constraint in the fundraising equation? Trust.

In too many instances, when entrepreneurs come to Rincon Venture Partners’ offices to pitch me and my partners, they waste valuable time attempting to sell us on the opportunity, often even after we say, “we believe in the opportunity, now tell us why we should place a bet on you.”

Gaining someone's trust is easier said than done.

According to John Greathouse of Rincon Venture Partners, one of the biggest obstacles to obtaining venture funding is trust, between investor and founder. Chances are, if you find yourself pitching your idea to a VC, they already believe in the potential of your business, but do they believe in you?

Ideas are a dime a dozen, solid execution is not. This discussion extends far beyond the VC industry, to any field that requires relationships between trusting individuals.

If you are fortunate to pitch a sophisticated investor in person, assume they already believe in the veracity of your idea, the market and the underlying technological trends. Unless an investor specifically asks you to educate them regarding your space, focus your pitch on why you and your team are uniquely qualified to exploit the opportunity and turn the idea into a lucrative, self-sustaining business.

Is trust holding you back from obtaining that promotion, or making that connection that could lead to your next big break? How does one gain trust?

Source: Entrepreneurs Shouldn't Pitch Their Ideas To Venture Capitalists