Last week, I cold DMed a founder doing some amazing work. He replied: "I’m not raising right now so I don't want to meet at this time" Even after clarifying it wasn't about fundraising and just a general chat - he stood his ground. There are 2 ways to look at it. 1) You might say the founder was rude. 2) Or, you can appreciate the clarity. This founder is guarding the most precious resource: time. By saying 'no' to me, he/she was saying 'yes' to his priorities at that moment in time. I respect that. I’d look at it another way though. How many opportunities are missed by closing doors too quickly, because we want to focus on what’s in hand? In my journey of building Dr. Vaidya's and now running V3 Ventures - the most valuable insights and connections often stemmed from unexpected encounters and random chats. From the person who initiated a conversation for our series A to the first person I connected with at Verlinvest - all random unstructured reach outs. Prioritization is crucial. I’d say I still need to get better at it. But, leave some time for serendipity on the calendar😊 . It’s worked for me Which approach do you take? #entrepreneur #founder #mindset #opportunity
Prioritisation is key. Everyone is different though and it's ok for different people to have different priorities. The key thing I feel is to make sure you're true to your mission. Ps- very few folks would be willing to turn down chatting with you, so this guy must be real busy!
A meeting can be and should be set up at some point. Networking is as important as other things when building. ^ my thoughts.
May the other approach can be setting up a later date when the founder is genuinely free to catch up and have a good conversation Arjun Vaidya ?
As a founder prioritizing the tasks saves so much time and effort which can be utilized in multiple other ways! Arjun Vaidya
Actually I disagree; declining meeting someone from your line of work; who you may have some synergies with (even if not in the foreseeable future) is not the right thing to do.. Businesses are not only built on capital and customers. They are also built on connections ; meaningful conversations, and most importantly serendipity... By denying a "relevant " meeting the person may have missed a bus he/she may not even know they would like to climb on.. Network is net worth... As a founder one of your major KRA is to meet relevant folks in your industry and if nothing, then atleast gain industry intelligence..
I'd have a chat. Business is one thing and meeting people is another. And I love the latter. Zaiba and I met randomly and that turned out to be a great friendship over the years. Similarly, I randomly met Swapon Adhikary today and after 45mins, we almost forgot what was the real agenda. Some casual meetings turn into a lifelong relationship. That said, I wouldn't dwell over the reasons why the "founder" didn't meet. No judgement or prejudice. He/She may have her own reasons. Maybe they were overthinking about the meeting agenda too. Who knows.
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4moThe value of prioritization and the balance between guarding time and being open to unexpected opportunities is an approach to embrace. The intricacies of entrepreneurship and the pursuit of valuable connections are important as said - networking is all about social capital.