Suster: VCs should evaluate founders over time using 'lines, not dots'
Mark Suster · 20 VC 085: Mark Suster @ Upfront Ventures on Being A Super Entrepreneur Driven VC · Nov 4, 2015 · at 14:45
Mark Suster is the Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures. Speaking with 20VC host Harry Stebbings, Suster details his framework for tracking founder trajectory across multiple meetings prior to investing.
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“But probably the best known post I've ever done was a post I wrote saying I invest in lines, not dots. And the metaphor is an x-axis is time, and a y-axis is your performance. And on any given day, I'm judging your performance on that day. How well did you present? How well did you make the case? How well did you respond to my questions? What is your current user base, or user population, or how are you doing in the media? Whatever I'm using to judge you. But you're just a dot to me. I don't have any pattern. And over time, the more interactions I have with you, I get to judge how responsive were you? How thoughtful were you? How did you respond to adversity? And I, it forms a pattern, and it doesn't even have to be up and to the right. But over time, I get to know you, and I decide, is this someone I want to do business with?”
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