No One Will See the Founder’s Full Vision, and That’s OK
It was a 20-minute time slot with a strict cutoff to move to the next investor speed meeting. The venture capitalist arrived 7 minutes late. By minute 18—after just 11 minutes of actual conversation—he was summarily listing everything he thought I needed to change about my business.
As a startup founder, you navigate the delicate balancing act between pitching—a game of persuasion—and accepting feedback, which can refine your approach. Some of the savviest fundraisers I know can weave the two together, subtly advancing their goal of persuasion while appearing to seek feedback.
I wasn’t that savvy.
When this VC told me to keep in touch, I felt indignant. “He’s missing 35% of our meeting time, barely listening, and shedding advice from on high,” I thought. Yuck.
The truth was, I didn’t really want his feedback. I wanted his eyes to light up at how cool my startup was. I wanted validation for my hard work and strategy. I wanted a pat on the back—and, of course, his investment.
Here’s the thing: While I wanted validation (and the money), I neither needed nor deserved it. It took me a while to realize that this encounter, like so many others, was a missed opportunity to gain a deeper perspective on my own business.
The Full Picture? It’s Just Not Possible
What I didn’t understand then—and what many founders might not realize—is that no one will ever fully understand your vision. Not the investors, not your team, and sometimes, not even you.
You might present the most compelling pitch, armed with all the right metrics, stories, and strategies, but the truth is, people are only going to see a fraction of your vision. They have their own limited perspectives, experiences, and biases that color how they interpret your ideas.
That’s frustrating, right? But it’s also freeing.
The beauty of being a founder is that your vision is your own. It's unique to you. While others may never see the whole picture, that doesn’t invalidate your idea. What matters is how you use feedback to sharpen your strategy and communication, rather than expecting complete validation from anyone else.
What Could I Have Done Differently?
If I could go back to that investor meeting, I wouldn’t aim for validation. I would have asked more questions. Instead of stewing in frustration over his late arrival or feeling summarily dismissed by his feedback, I would have tried to pull more out of him—his perspective, his experience, his story. Even if he didn’t see the full picture of my vision, he might have offered a sliver of insight that could make a difference.
As founders, we need to accept that the full picture is rarely visible to others, and that’s OK. What matters is how we respond to this reality.
Key Takeaways for Founders:
Don’t Seek Full Validation: Investors, mentors, or even co-founders will never fully understand your vision. That’s part of the journey. Focus on refining your strategy based on feedback, rather than expecting everyone to “get it.”
Ask More Questions: Even when the conversation feels one-sided, dig deeper. Try to understand the other person’s perspective. You might uncover valuable insights that help refine your approach.
Embrace the Partial View: Just because someone doesn’t see the full scope of your vision doesn’t mean they don’t have something valuable to offer. Lean into those gaps in understanding and use them to your advantage.
Building a company from scratch requires resilience—not just against external challenges but against the internal desire for full acknowledgment and validation. If you can accept that no one will ever fully see your vision, you’ll find the freedom to focus on what truly matters: executing that vision and embracing the joy of interacting with all sorts of people along the way.