Thread by @ryan_caldbeck

1/ I applaud Brian at @crosscutvc for the post. Mental health for founders has gotten more attention over the past year and I think it’s a wonderful thing.
venturebeat.com/2019/02/10/to-…

2/ I think the journey of a founder is soul-crushingly hard. I love to see VCs talking about helping. I think Brian has great suggestions to help. I’ll add another (not meant to imply mine is better): Vulnerability.

3/ In my journey one of the hardest things has been surrounded by the “I’m crushing it” founders or the VC that pretends like all their deals are 10x.

4/ What would be valuable for me in a VC is vulnerability. Talking about how they lost out on a deal to a competitor, they are scared about how LPs will react at next Annual Meeting, how they aren’t sure if they are good at their job because it takes 10 years to figure that out.

5/ Vulnerability helps open up a relationship and bond people together. Vulnerability also helps the other person- in this case the founder- to be vulnerable too.

6/ That’s particularly important in startup culture where a founder can feel outrageous pressure. At least I do.

https://twitter.com/ryan_caldbeck/status/1000757134403846144

7/ Why won’t a VC be vulnerable? I think because they are worried it will be harder to build their brand, harder to win the top tier deals because the entrepreneurs want to work with the VCs that are also “Crushing it.”

8/ And so perhaps the cycle continues. With entrepreneurs thinking they need to act like they are crushing it because that’s what VCs want, and with VCs doing the same?

9/ I’m optimistic that articles like this and groups that are starting to teach vulnerability will push the ecosystem forward. (Some of which will be announced later this year…hint hint Carole & Joe 😀).