Keeping the faith

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"You gotta have FAITH"

- George Michael

When you are seeking investment you are looking for a partnership. Some partnerships just won't work. It doesn't imply any positive or negative judgement on either party, but the square peg won't go through the round hole. It takes time and effort to find the right hole, but as a toddler playing with blocks, experience and homework will yield greater and faster results in the future. You shouldn't look at every pitch that doesn't result in investment as a failure. Rather, see it as another step towards finding the right investor.

It's important to evaluate each potential relationship after the pitch to see if you could have acheived a more successful outcome. It may be that your peg would have fit through their hole if you'd turned it sideways or tried a different approach. It can be disappointing to come to this realization, but it's not a failure. You've successfully learned something and are better prepared for the next round.

Like the toddler frustrated with a non-compliant toy, people lose control and throw tantrums. Ultimately this is self-destructive. In your explosion of pent-up emotion you may end up destroying the project you care so much about. You may hurt others, destroying relationships and eliminating potential. This not only wastes your time and energy, it moves you backward, losing ground you struggled so hard to gain.

Try to maintain perspective as you travel the road to financing. Steel yourself for what you are going to do before embarking on your journey. When pitches go bad, when ignorant investors ask stupid questions - breathe. These things WILL happen. Knowing that they will happen helps deal with them. It still sucks, but it's real.

Part of the frustration stems from NOT knowing. This is where faith comes in. I'm not attempting to cyber-proselytize, but you have to have faith in something. Faith in God, the universe, karma - faith in yourself. The project you are working on has value. You've done your homework, right? Have faith in your work and your idea, and eventually you will find someone who is willing and capable of supporting your effort. Much like writing - 90% of the time the work yields substandard results if you're a genius. Eventually you get something worthwhile, however, and that makes all the time and effort sublimely justified.