Why Asking Stupid Questions Can Be a Game-Changer in Startups

Name: Why Asking Stupid Questions Can Be a Game-Changer in Startups
Uploaded: 2024-05-27T13:04:44+00:00
Duration: 29 s
Channel: Jason M. Lemkin
Description: Jason M. Lemkin tells founders to answer VC questions head-on, even ones that seem dumb or derail the pitch. Those questions usually mean the investor…

27 May 2024 · 0 min

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Jason M. Lemkin tells founders to answer VC questions head-on, even ones that seem dumb or derail the pitch. Those questions usually mean the investor saw something similar before or spotted a real problem. Answering directly uncovers hidden objections and builds trust.

You may think the question is stupid. It may even be stupid, but there's a reason they ask, ask it. Sometimes it is to hear themselves talk, but sometimes it's that they just met with a startup that was kind of different, maybe not competitive, not in the same space, but roughly different. And something stuck in their head from that meeting and they want to hear what you think about it. Um, don't— in my advice, and some will disagree— don't say you'll get to that later. Don't say— answer the VC's question. Even if they want to jump around the deck, jump around the conversation, even the conversation is not linear in the way you like, even if your pitch is interrupted, do it.