Startup Funding

Related Guides

Are They Serious?

1 min read The startup world is full of big ideas. Entrepreneurs have grand plans to make these big ideas a reality. It is the venture world, so you better have large ideas. However, the talk about the idea is often full of overstatements and amplification. It paints a picture of a future so bright that it’s blinding. So blinding that all they see are the possibilities, not how serious it is to follow through and do the work. 

The problem is some entrepreneurs are full of big ideas and nothing more. The startup world is open to anybody. Since the space is so open, it seems like everybody comes through it at some point in time. Unfortunately, this leads to some individuals passing through who are not serious enough to propel a startup toward success. 

What to Look For

Here are a few signs that an entrepreneur may not take the business seriously enough to be successful:

  1. Job titles are overly important to them. They are generally more concerned with receiving titles and credit for the work than they are about the actual work.
  2. They are not focused on the customer. In fact, they may not even have a clear understanding of who their customer is or what that customer wants.
  3. They don’t take responsibility for problems the startup may have. They blame others for the issues and may claim there is nothing they can do to fix the problem. 

Know your entrepreneur. An entrepreneur who isn’t committed to the cause will raise funding and ultimately waste it. You do not want to invest money in those who aren’t going to see it through.


Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

Recent blog

1 min read The Importance of Diversity in Your Portfolio According to a Harvard Business Review study on increasing diversity in venture …

2 min read What is Your Competitive Advantage Many entrepreneurs are unaware of what gives their product a competitive advantage, confusing anecdotal …

2 min read To Invest or Not to Invest In the startup world, everyone has a grand idea, but how do you …

2 min read What Investors Look For So you’re about to raise funding for your startup and wonder what investors look for. Startups …

Site Map

Scroll to Top