1. The ones that think they’re the next Apple because they got 200 likes on Product Hunt
2. The ones that actually build something, but get buried under a pile of 19-year-olds pitching “Uber for cats” with AI
As an angel investor, I’m convinced half the funding scene is just adult daycare for overconfident founders and bored capital. I’ve had pitch calls where the founder spends more time flexing their Notion dashboard than explaining what the business actually does.
And don’t even get me started on the word “pre-seed.” You’ve got founders raising on vapor. Zero traction. Zero plan. But somehow they’ve got a waitlist, a landing page, and a newsletter called “The Future of X.” Cool. But where’s the company?
This ecosystem doesn’t need another trend-chasing fund trying to be “cool with the kids.” It needs investors who actually say no sometimes. Who challenge the BS. Who fund execution, not just storytelling.
So yeah, I back early stage startups but not because it’s trendy. Because I’m betting on founders who bleed for their idea, not just tweet about it.
Let’s bring some standards back.
Who’s in?
This post was originally shared by on Linkedin.