My Company Was Not VC-backable

My startup was once on death row, labeled as not VC-backable.

This exclusion from the venture capital club didn't sit well with me.

I wasn't part of the group that defined success in the startup world.

This left me with a mix of anger, disappointment, and envy.

Watching others proudly wear that badge of honor, I wondered, "What about me?"

The ticket to this elite club seemed clear:

• A scalable business model.
• A massive market.
• A $100M vision.

But I had none of that. All I had was:

• A modest market.
• An idea for my first customer.
• A simple plan to earn my first dollar.

To investors, that wasn't worth a founder's time, let alone their own.

Desperate, I tried to fit the mold:

• I exaggerated my market.
• Fabricated a grand business plan.
• Sketched out a path to that $100M illusion.

But to no avail.

Convincing others proved impossible when I couldn't even convince myself.

Without any other ideas and no Plan B, the situation worsened:

• Money got tight.
• Paychecks became a memory.
• Credit card debt started piling up.

It had to work, VC backing or not. There was no other choice.

So, I cut the fundraising charade and braced for battle. My co-founders and I scraped together what little we had left.

We hunkered down like cockroaches in hiding.

The following year pushed us to our limits. It was grueling and demoralizing on all fronts, far from the glamorous startup life I had imagined.

But through these challenging times, we had a breakthrough:

Our first satisfied customer. Our first dollar.

This milestone was the light at the end of the tunnel we’ve come to call home. It proved that satisfying one customer could lead to many more. And that was all the validation I needed.

This journey made me realize that to be fulfilled, I didn’t need the:

• VC club membership.
• Unicorn status.
• Media fame.

All I needed was a business that supports myself, my co-founders, and our team. The rest, I was sure we would figure out together.

Redefining success was a journey for me, but it helped me find what it truly means to me.

If you’re feeling stuck, if nothing seems to work, if every playbook and advice falls short, remember: it’s okay.

I was there too.

I had to create my own playbook, and that was the turning point for me.

Maybe, it's time for you to write your own, too.

And who knows, you might stumble upon your own definition of success along the way.