A billion-dollar idea is exciting, but ideas are cheap. Execution is everything. When VCs evaluate early-stage startups, they aren't just impressed by a polished pitch deck or a flashy prototype. They’re searching for signals, indicators that say: “This founder understands the problem. This team can deliver. This market is real.”

What really moves the needle?
✅ A clear, painful problem that urgently needs solving
✅ Early traction -- even if it’s scrappy, it counts
✅ A team that’s hungry, coachable, and deeply committed
✅ A business model with the potential to scale
✅ A narrative that draws investors in rather than pushing them away

The key insight: VCs aren’t expecting perfection, they’re looking for potential. The kind of potential that becomes more obvious with every conversation, every piece of progress, and every sign of learning.

At the earliest stages, investors are betting not just on a product, but on the founders themselves, their conviction, adaptability, and relentless drive to build something real.

NextUnicorn.Fund | Emmanuel Tom
| Devi Saha
| Aswin Saji | Yukta Jotwani | Thamma Darshan

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