By Roshaan Narkedayy | LvlUp Venture Scout
During the last quarter, I met a founder who was raising their first institutional round after 18 months of building quietly. They didn’t have the glossy pitch deck or investor-ready metrics you’d expect. Instead, they walked me through a Google Doc; one page that transparently laid out what worked, what didn’t, and what they were learning in real time.
When we spoke, they didn’t sugarcoat the challenges. They had missed revenue targets for two consecutive quarters, burned through key hires, and admitted that the early go-to-market assumptions were off. But instead of spinning a story, they shared how the team was pivoting the product based on user data and the early signals of what was actually starting to click.
Three weeks later, that same founder sent an update email concise, data-backed, and refreshingly candid. It showed exactly how they’d implemented the pivot, plugged the hiring gaps, and started converting early enterprise pilots into paid accounts. That update changed everything. A seed investor who had previously been on the fence came back with conviction, doubling down on the round.
That experience reminded me of something we often overlook in venture: trust compounds faster than capital.
Founders often assume investors back ideas, traction, or credentials. In reality, many of us back clarity, consistency, and character the quiet signals that show how a founder navigates uncertainty.
When updates are authentic, they turn potential skeptics into advocates. Because trust, once built, accelerates every other part of the founder journey, faster follow-ons, easier intros, better talent acquisition, and more resilience when things inevitably go sideways.
The venture ecosystem has long been wired to chase “momentum.” But momentum without trust is a sugar high. It feels good in the moment oversubscribed rounds, viral launches, valuation spikes but it fades fast when market conditions tighten.
Trust, on the other hand, compounds quietly. It starts with a transparent update, matures through consistent delivery, and scales when investors begin to vouch for you even when you’re not in the room.
When a founder builds that reputation early, the power dynamic flips. Suddenly, it’s not about chasing capital, it's about attracting aligned capital.
Momentum is built through consistency, not just milestones. Investors notice reliability more than they remember your vanity metrics.
It signals maturity. The fastest way to earn investor confidence is to show how you diagnose and fix problems not how you avoid them.
Every pivot, failed experiment, or closed loop tells investors your team is data-driven, not ego-driven.
Engaged investors love being part of the problem-solving process. When you invite them in early, you build emotional equity before financial equity.
Founders aren’t the only ones responsible for building the trust flywheel. As investors, we often underestimate how our own consistency shapes a founder’s confidence in us.
Showing up before the check matters. Listening without agenda matters. Following up after a “no” matters. These micro-interactions build the relational tissue that transforms a transactional deal into a long-term partnership.
In the Indian VC Ecosystem and across the broader ecosystem, I’ve seen that founders remember how you showed up far more than what you said.
In finance, we love to talk about compounding returns. In venture, the most exponential curve isn’t capital, it’s trust.
When trust deepens between founders and GPs, the ecosystem itself becomes more efficient. More transparent conversations mean faster feedback loops, healthier cap tables, and fewer wasted cycles chasing performative growth.
Trust isn’t a soft skill. It’s a strategic moat.
For founders: Your updates matter more than your pitch deck.
For VCs: Show up before you write the check.
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