What-if certainty 3/5 debate potential 2/5

Goyal: Whatfix would have died if they followed most of my advice

Alok Goyal · Top SaaS startups to watch in 2023 with Alok Goyal, Investor in Whatfix, LimeChat, GTM Buddy · Jan 9, 2023 · at 1:00:51

Alok Goyal, partner at Stellaris Venture Partners, emphasizes why founders should rely on their own judgment rather than blindly following VC guidance.

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“You know, if WhatFix had listened to most things I had said, I think they'll be dead five years back. The reason they're successful is because they apply their own judgment, and I'm not saying that everything I've said was wrong, but we sit at a distance.”

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Disclosure
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