Hey Founders 👋
This issue is packed with investor intel where Ben breaks down exactly what makes hims trust (or pass on) a founder, and it’s not perhaps what you might be expecting. We’ve also got a community member searching for a co-founder, a hot thread on the KPIs that actually matter at your stage, and a spotlight on one of our own. If you do one thing after reading this: add our community calendar so you never miss an event.
🗓️Add our Community Calendar to stay on top of every webinar, community pitches, AMA, and more:
🔎 The Investor’s Lens
What makes an investor actually trust a founder?
In Ben's recent Substack post, he tackled one of the most common questions he gets from our community: how does an investor evaluate their confidence in a founder's ability to execute? Not just on the current idea, but through growth and expansion?
His answer boils down to three core traits. First, curiosity. Does the founder genuinely want to know what's true about their market, even when the truth is uncomfortable? Second, coachability, and this is where it gets interesting. Ben frames this less about taking investor advice and more about being coachable by your market. If your buyers are telling you something, you need to act on it, even when it means admitting you were wrong. Third, commitment, and this one comes with a sharp edge. Ben flags a major red flag: founders who say they can't pursue any traction until they have funding. His view is that there's always something you can do. Pre-sales, letters of intent, building a following. Waiting on investment to get started signals a lack of accountability down the road.
Beyond those three, Ben notes that speed of thought matters (he literally watches how fast founders process information), and that energy calibration is key. You want to be the most energized person in the room, but only by a small margin. Bring people up; don't overwhelm them.
One final add he flagged: responsiveness. If an investor has to chase you when you need their money, they'll assume they'll never hear from you once you don't.
Founder takeaway:
Before your next investor conversation, pressure-test yourself against these traits. Are you demonstrating curiosity, coachability, and commitment with real evidence, not just words? And when someone reaches out, respond. Speed is signal.
📖 Read the full post: Investor AMA: Question on Evaluating Founders
🌟 Founder Spotlight: Lessons from a Pitch Event
Anushrot Mohanty
CEO & Founder of ELAM GLOBAL
TiECon Vizag brought together investors, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals for a two-day event in March 2026, with Day 2 featuring a pitch competition in front of a room full of investors and potential customers. Anushrot and his co-founder were there to pitch D.A.G.R. (Distributed Asset Governance and Retrieval), but what set their experience apart had nothing to do with the pitch itself.
The play was Day 1
Instead of sitting in panels, they spent the entire first day working the floor. Talking to investors, yes, but also industry professionals, potential customers, and fellow founders. Researching, validating, and making sure the right people knew who ELAM GLOBAL was and what they were building before anyone stepped on stage.
Anushrot at TiECon Vizag
That groundwork completely changed the pitch on Day 2. With most of the room already familiar with the company, Anushrot didn't need to burn time explaining the product. He could go straight to what investors actually care about: the team, the GTM plan, the raise, and revenue projections. For prospective customers in the room, the effect was different but equally powerful. It built confidence not just in the product, but in ELAM GLOBAL as a company they could see themselves doing business with.
The results?
Investors who were initially reluctant changed their minds. A follow-up investor meeting was booked. And genuine interest came in from parties whose own clients have a direct need for what D.A.G.R. solves.
The biggest validation wasn't a prize or a placement. It was the room's reaction to the problem itself. Across investors, industry professionals, and prospective customers, the response confirmed that the problem D.A.G.R. addresses is real, urgent, and underserved. That kind of multi-angle validation from people with very different stakes in the outcome is something you simply can't manufacture.
💡 Anushrot's advice for the community:
Don't wait for the pitch to start pitching. If you're attending a two-day event, Day 1 is the most valuable real estate you have. Use it to meet people, learn the room, and make sure the right people already know your name before you take the stage. The pitch becomes a confirmation, not an introduction.
🤝 Founder Asks
Got something you need? This community runs on real help. No sales pitches, no investor asks, just founders looking out for each other
Duol is looking for a technical co-founder for a cannabis lifestyle brand spanning events, limited-edition CPG drops, and a creator marketplace. They're in the fundraising phase and need a partner to lead technical execution, distribution, and growth strategy. It's an equity-based role with a standard vesting schedule (1-year cliff, 4-year vest). If that's your lane, reach out via Discord: Connect with Duol on Discord
🔥 Discord Hot Threads
Don't let the good conversations happen without you:
Which KPIs Actually Matter at Your Stage?
Michelle kicked off a thread breaking down the metrics that founders should (and shouldn't) be obsessing over. If you've been staring at vanity numbers, this one's a reset. → Jump into the thread
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