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One of the strange privileges of becoming a founder was getting to know some of the best entrepreneurs in construction technology.
Over the years I became friends with founders like Tracy Young and Ralph Goote, Javed Singha and Yves Frinault, Mo Akbari, Zac Scheel and Drew DeWalt, Scott Wolfe, and many others. I had amazing early investors who backed me long before I had much to show for it. Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to be surrounded by people operating at an incredibly high level.
The funny part is that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
I wasn't some polished founder. I was figuring it out in real time, in public, in front of people whose money I'd just taken.
My early pitches were probably pretty bad. I was rejected by far more investors than said yes. Every rejection forced me to improve my story, sharpen my thinking, and understand my market better.
At the time, it just felt painful. Today, I realize it was part of earning the opportunity.
Since joining Foundamental, I've met a lot of founders. And I've noticed something.
Sometimes I meet someone with an idea that I genuinely believe could become a great company. But I also know I wouldn't invest today. Not because the market's wrong, or the tech is.
Because the founder isn't ready...yet. That isn't a criticism. Every founder starts somewhere. And I certainly did.
The difference is that the best founders never stop leveling up. They put exceptional people around themselves, they become students of their industry, and they go looking for mentors who'll push back instead of simply encouraging them.
They treat every conversation as an opportunity to learn.
Too many people today believe that having an idea means they deserve venture capital.
I don't think that's how it works. Capital doesn't create exceptional founders. Exceptional founders earn capital.
One thing I've noticed in many of my conversations is that I sometimes know more about a founder's market than they do. That's a difficult position to be in. If you're dedicating your life to solving a problem, you should aspire to become the person who understands that problem more deeply than anyone else in the room.
You don't get there overnight. You get there through curiosity, humility, repetition, and years of building relationships with people who raise your standard.
When I look back at BuildingConnected, I realize that many of the friendships I formed were just as valuable as the capital we raised.
Those people challenged me, taught me, introduced me to new ideas, and made me a better founder.
That's why my advice to first-time founders isn't to spend six months perfecting a fundraising deck. Spend that time becoming someone the best founders want to spend time with! Build real relationships. Master your craft. Become obsessed with your customer and your industry.
Success isn't something investors hand out. It's something you earn long before the first term sheet arrives.