Founders often waste time on 'decksmithing' for investors or obsessing over single sales deals.
Attract investors, Don't Chase them
Spending too much time perfecting pitch decks means playing 'into the odds,' placing founders at a disadvantage. Instead, focus on rapid growth and strong proof points to make your company so compelling that investors pursue you.
This shifts the dynamic, allowing founders to play 'out of the odds' and avoid being strung along by investors looking to 'buy an option' on future growth.
will chase after versus decksmithing, you're you're playing into the odds versus playing out of the odds. Yeah. And again, I I think we're not supposed to be
Don't need any one deal: build a sales Pipeline to gain leverage
Obsessing over a single 'hot deal' creates a low-leverage situation, making a company dependent and vulnerable to unfavorable terms. High leverage is achieved by generating abundant customer inbound, enabling the company to be picky and choosy.
If a deal falls through, it doesn't significantly impact the business because many other opportunities exist in the pipeline, preventing founders from being 'over the barrel. '
you kind of can't need any one deal. Yeah, >> like high leverage is that you have so much customer inbound >> that you can be picky and
Winning through Pre-Work and leverage
The outcome of critical startup situations is not decided in the moment of negotiation or pitch, but through the extensive 'pre-work' that builds a company's inherent leverage. By the time a founder enters a negotiation, the 'win' has largely already been secured through the strength of their product, market position, and growth.
An athlete's race performance reflects years of training, just as a founder's deal success reflects foundational work.
High-Leverage Storytelling: own your narrative
Relying on external gatekeepers to tell a company's story is a low-leverage activity that often wastes resources. Instead, founders should directly create and consistently post content they would personally consume.
This builds a direct channel to potential users, investors, and recruits, strengthening connections and making it a high-leverage skill that benefits fundraising, recruiting, and user engagement.