Cardinal Sin #6: Fudging the numbers

When founders present questionable numbers or data to me, I usually assume 2 things:

1. You are a product of the US education system and failed spectacularly at math.

2. You are a numbers weasel who is deliberately trying to fudge the numbers to make your startup seem better than it really is.

I can’t speak for all VC’s but I obsessively fact check. And it’s not just a simple Google search either because unlike lazy startup founders, I know how to READ. I will dig up studies and read them from top to bottom. I will even email the people who made the studies to double check the numbers.

If you have even one number that is off, I will know.

Image credit: CC by Procsilas Moscas