“We’re the First to Ever Do This!” No, You’re Not. And VCs Know It.

Every day, some starry-eyed founder looks a venture capitalist dead in the eye and says, “We’re the first to ever do this.” And every day, that VC leans back, sips their coffee, and thinks, Are you, though? Because guess what? You’re probably not.

Here’s the thing: you can’t sneak an idea past a VC. We see thousands of companies a year. By the time you pitch your “revolutionary” idea, we’ve already met the version of you from six months ago, the version from three years ago, and the version that failed so hard they deleted their LinkedIn.

You’re Not the First, and That’s Okay

Let’s get this out of the way: your idea isn’t original. And that’s not a bad thing! It doesn’t mean you won’t succeed—it just means you need to stop pretending you’re Christopher Columbus discovering land that already has people living on it.

You’re building something for parents? Homeowners? Athletes? Creators? AI? Cool. It’s been done. Probably multiple times. What matters is how you are doing it differently.

Claiming you’re the first without doing your homework isn’t impressive—it’s lazy. And it tells us you haven’t Googled enough to even understand your competition. Pro tip: if you don’t know your competitors, we will.

VCs Have Seen It All

Want to impress a VC? Show us you’ve done the work. We’ve heard every buzzword and watched every shiny pitch deck. “Revolutionary,” “disruptive,” “world-first AI-powered solution”? Yawn. If you’re going to sell us on AI, at least have a PhD or someone on your team who knows what “gradient descent” means.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact: the “first-mover advantage” doesn’t mean anything if you’re not the one who executes it best. We’ve seen the “first” companies crash and burn while the fifth, sixth, or even tenth player in the market eats their lunch.

So stop trying to outshine the competition by pretending they don’t exist. Instead, tell us what you learned from their mistakes—and why you’re the one who can finally get it right.

Learn From Failure (Even If It’s Not Yours)

Founders love to say they’re breaking new ground. But the smarter ones start by digging into the wreckage of failed companies in their space. Talk to the founders who went before you. Find out what went wrong. Was it user friction? A bad founding team? Not enough capital? Or was the market just not ready?

This isn’t just homework—it’s survival training. Knowing what didn’t work will help you avoid making the same mistakes. And if you can explain why your approach will succeed where others failed, we’re listening.

It’s Not About Being First—It’s About Being Better

Here’s the pitch we want to hear:

1. What problem are you solving, and why does it matter?

2. How is your approach different—and better?

3. Who’s already tried this, and what did you learn from them?

If you can answer those questions, you’ve got our attention. Because we’re not investing in originality for its own sake. We’re investing in founders who can execute better, smarter, and faster than anyone else.

And if you don’t know what makes you different? There’s a reason no one else has nailed this yet. Maybe it’s a market issue. Maybe the problem isn’t big enough. Or maybe your founding team needs some serious upgrades.

Don’t Try to Fool Us. Do Better.

Listen, we get it. You want to sound confident and visionary. But pretending you’re the first is like walking into a job interview saying, “I’m the only person who’s ever thought to apply for this position.” It’s not impressive—it’s cringey.

Instead, do the work. Research your space. Talk to the people who failed. Figure out your angle. Then show up with a pitch that’s not about being “first” but about being the one who finally gets it right.

Because VCs aren’t looking for pioneers. We’re looking for winners. And trust me: we can tell the difference.

Be the Founder Who Delivers

Stop trying to sell us on how original you are. Be the founder who learns, adapts, and executes better than the 50 other companies we’ve already seen trying to do the same thing. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about being first—it’s about being the one who sticks the landing.

So, do your homework, tell your story, and show us what makes you different. That’s how you get our attention—and maybe even our money (their money...I'm not deploying right now).