MONDO STEVE

The Pivot: Better to Abandon a Solution Than Your Investors

Startup not getting traction? Pivot before you die. If you’ve got nothing to Pivot to, then you have no mojo. Investors should be open to the concept of Pivot to protect their investment; and, they should be on the look out for good leaders that can see and activate opportunities rapidly. After all, that is what the investors pay for isn’t it?

It’s Saturday morning and I woke up with two things on my mind: Silicon Valley and “…what am I doing?”

My financial advisor/rainmaker/stickhandler/VC has made arrangements to meet potential investors and business development targets in Menlo Park and Palo Alto this coming week. Emails are flying back and forth promising all sorts of talking points etc. It doesn’t seem real. Maybe it’s because I have heard so many stories of Startups going to Silicon Valley to camp out and knock on doors until one opens up to make their dreams come true. I don’t feel like I’ve worked that hard on it, yet I have this opportunity and it is frightening. If it’s for real, this could be the start of something big for our startup.

As any Startup, we are bootstrapped and nurturing our progression along with vapors. Real hard currency is needed to fuel the work-machine, let alone marketing. And, the more you need it, the harder it seems to obtain. So, here I sit looking ahead and fiddling about trying to figure out whether I have everything necessary to support my “ask” and bring home something tangible. I still have time, and the anticipation is like not being able to breath. There is a sense that I need to succeed there or all is lost and hopeless.

I need to get over all that and treat this like any other pitch - it isn’t for everyone. And, we wouldn’t want to align with just anyone anyhow, right? There are lots of fish in the sea. Ya, that’s it.

Now, back to rearranging the numbers - hockey stick or bell curve? Which would they prefer to see?

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