I reflected on the emotional and statistical reality of the founder journey.
Being a founder is atleast 10‑year sentence you serve willingly.
You walk into 300 investor meetings and 190 say no to your face.
The odds are 1 in 100.
If you can handle that and still believe, build.
I fund founders who view their venture as a lifelong commitment, lacking an exit timeline or Plan B, because that level of conviction is almost impossible to fake.
The founder I funded said he is okay if this takes 10 years.
Typical founders I meet are optimizing for a Series A in 18 months.
The product will change three times before Series A.
I evaluate founders on parental‑like devotion, absence of exit timelines, and willingness to endure years when nothing works.