The Dirty Little Secret VCs Don’t Want Founders to Know

Why who you are matters more than what you’re building (and what to do if you’re not a “perfect fit”).

Aspiring entrepreneurs are often led to believe that the key to startup success is having a groundbreaking idea and building an exceptional product.

Come up with the next brilliant innovation, create a prototype, and get it in front of the right people, and you’ll secure funding and your company will take off.

But what if I told you that’s only a small part of the equation?

That there’s a much bigger factor that can make or break your startup dreams — one that has nothing to do with your actual business?

It’s called founder-market fit.

And it’s the dirty little secret that VCs don’t often talk about, but is a major criterion they use to evaluate potential investments.

What is founder-market fit?

Simply put, it’s the idea that the background, skills, and characteristics of the founders need to align well with the market they are trying to serve. That the founders have unique insight, credibility or advantages in that specific space.