I lied to a founder in a pitch.

Let me explain.

A startup prospect came in to pitch. Their product and value proposition were intriguing.

But the Founder of this startup had been rude to our analyst team during initial engagements.

So, we played a game with this Founder.

I would be the only attendee from our side -- the other attendees would have “last-minute conflicts.”

I’d downplay my role.

We wanted to see how this Founder would respond and whether they’d done their homework on our fund.

At the meeting, I introduced myself as “just an analyst new to the fund.” I apologized that my superior and teammates wouldn’t make the meeting.

Thoroughly irritated, the Founder asked...

“So, Chris, what qualifies you to be here in this meeting with me?”

… and then treated the next 15 minutes as if it were a waste of time.

In fairness, it was a waste of time because I knew within 90 seconds that we’d pass on this Founder.

I was polite and listened to the watered-down pitch.

But the Startup DID NOT get my check.

Unethical strategy? Maybe.

But, how many of us have used subtle tactics to gauge a person’s behavior before making a big investment in them?

Like during the interview / hiring process. Or dating.

Founders – be mindful that every interaction you have with a VC, regardless of their title or level of experience, is an evaluation.