What this teaches
A former a16z partner turned founder describes how different fundraising looks from the founder's chair: what she got wrong despite knowing the investor side, and the gap between VC theory and founder practice.
Why it matters
Unusual dual perspective: someone who evaluated deals professionally still found raising hard and surprising.
Key lessons
- Knowing how VCs think doesn't immunize you from fundraising mistakes
- Investor enthusiasm decays fast; strike while conviction is fresh
- Choose investors for the down-case, not the up-case
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