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Sanwal: Investor push that more funding increases success is unsupported folklore

Anand Sanwal · 20VC: CB Insights' Anand Sanwal on The Most Dangerous Myth Some Investors Have Promoted, Why Most B2B Content Is Crap and How To Make It Successful & Why Predigree Is Overrated and The Right Way To Scale Teams · Dec 7, 2018 · at 16:04

Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights, criticizes prominent venture capital investors who push startups to raise excessive capital.

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“One of the most cancerous things that some And I wouldn't say it's all, but some prominent investors in sort of emerging tech companies have done is to push a narrative that more funding increases your likelihood of success. That idea is not supported by data. It's just folklore.”

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