This morning I had a meeting with a VC fund not a partner but an associate. Which now I’m sure I never want to take again, but I digress. The meeting started off as any VC call would.
Me: company background, tech, traction, revenues ect.
Him: Fund size, deal size ect...
Me: company background, tech, traction, revenues ect.
Him: Fund size, deal size ect...
And here’s what has me both sad and mad. After saying how great the company was he said and I quote verbatim. “We just invested in another black female founder last year, so I don’t think we’ll do another deal until later this year- when are you raising.” I was shocked.
What does that have to do with anything? “We just invested in another white make founder last year, so I don’t think we’ll so another deal until later this year - said no investor ever!” I asked him is that your fund’s thesis? Do you only invest in one black female per year?!
He then began to slightly stutter saying he misspoke, what he meant to say was they will be investing later this year. At that point I moved to politely wrap up the call. When I hung up and even now my hands were shaking and still are as I write this tweet. He meant what he said.
It was infuriating - deal flow should be based on a company’s metrics, milestones the company has reached, traction ect. not based on the color or sex of the founder. As the VC world is so small, I will refrain from saying the funds name here. But I’m really hurt like for real.
I’ll be drafting an email to the partners and circling this to my current investors. It’s frustrating. I pour all of me into my company everyday. I have for over three years. I make sacrifice after sacrifice. I had revenue before I ever raised a dollar, before I even had a team.
I bring to the table top tier clients, product market fit, stellar products and in the end I will always be judged first by how I look and that hurts me. It’s like no matter what I do I’ll never be good enough. I’m really crying now and that makes mad. I should be stronger.
Why is it so hard to do good? As much as this hurts I’m not going to let it ruin my day instead, I’ll use it as fuel to succeed so that everyone who ever questioned me and my ability will one day question themselves and their judgement when they realize they missed out.
