The venture capital hamster wheel prevents startups from being genuinely long-term oriented
William Hockey · How to bet on yourself (without venture capital) · Invest Like The Best · Mar 17, 2026 · at 19:54
Column founder and Plaid co-founder William Hockey critiques traditional venture backing, arguing rapid fundraising cycles force startups to chase hype cycles rather than building durable software.
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“The hamster wheel of VC doesn't actually allow us to be long-term. Because if you are having to spend a lot of money for employees and you're burning a rate of you have to raise every, like, year, year and a half, you end up optimizing for that next fundraise.”
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