An investor passes on your startup. You can change their mind, right? Wrong. 

Here’s why trying to change investors’ minds is a waste of time…

Minds Don’t Change

Investors are interested right away or not at all. When they pass, the chance of you ever getting a dime is minimal.

I’ve invested in 38 companies. Very seldom have I passed on a company and invested later. 

Any time you spend trying to change a no to a yes is wasted. You could be finding customers, building product, or pitching other investors. 

Find True Believers

True believers will make or break your startup. That’s true with investors, employees, even first customers.

Investors that believe give you money. They also help in a thousand other ways… intros, advice, marketing. 

Find people who are excited about your startup. Those are the people who say yes right away.

When you try to change the minds of people who aren’t interested, you’re not attracting true believers. 

When to Re-Engage

If an investor passes because you’re too early, ask what stage he invests at. When you hit that stage, contact him.

Last year, I invested in a company that I passed on in 2024. The startup had gone from pre-revenue to several hundred thousand dollars of ARR growing fast. 

I messaged the founder begging to invest. Luckily, there was a little space left in their SAFE note! 

A “too early” isn’t the same as a “pass.” But make sure you show real progress before you contact the investor again.

Wrap-Up

So many founders try to persuade me after I pass on their startup. It’s not a good use of time.

When investors pass, the solution isn’t to convince them. It’s to pitch more investors.

Fundraising is a numbers game. Pitch enough investors and you can find those true believers.

Do you try to change investors’ minds?

More on tech:

Your Deck Probably Sucks. Here’s How to Fix It.

How to Tell If Investors Are Really Interested

How to Run a Pitch Meeting

Save Money on Stuff I Use:

Fundrise

This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

More on Fundrise in this post.

If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

Misfits Market

I’ve used Misfits for years, and it never disappoints! Every fruit and vegetable is organic, super fresh, and packed with flavor!

I wrote a detailed review of Misfits here.

Use this link to sign up and you’ll save $15 on your first order.