Desi Founder
@desifounder.com
Community Platform for Startup Founders & Entrepreneurs → desifounder.com
Common reasons VCs say No:
• Market too small
• Weak distribution strategy
• Unclear differentiation
• Team gaps
• Timing concerns
• Poor unit economics
• “Come back with more traction”
Most rejections are usually pattern-based. Which one do you hear most?
• Market too small
• Weak distribution strategy
• Unclear differentiation
• Team gaps
• Timing concerns
• Poor unit economics
• “Come back with more traction”
Most rejections are usually pattern-based. Which one do you hear most?
December 22, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Common reasons VCs say No:
• Market too small
• Weak distribution strategy
• Unclear differentiation
• Team gaps
• Timing concerns
• Poor unit economics
• “Come back with more traction”
Most rejections are usually pattern-based. Which one do you hear most?
• Market too small
• Weak distribution strategy
• Unclear differentiation
• Team gaps
• Timing concerns
• Poor unit economics
• “Come back with more traction”
Most rejections are usually pattern-based. Which one do you hear most?
Startup survival data (various studies):
• ~90% of startups fail
• ~10% reach Series A
• ~3–5% reach Series B
• <1% reach IPO or large exit
Failure timing:
• ~38% fail due to running out of cash
• ~35% fail due to lack of market need
• ~20% fail due to team issues
Median failure time: 20–24 months
• ~90% of startups fail
• ~10% reach Series A
• ~3–5% reach Series B
• <1% reach IPO or large exit
Failure timing:
• ~38% fail due to running out of cash
• ~35% fail due to lack of market need
• ~20% fail due to team issues
Median failure time: 20–24 months
December 21, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Startup survival data (various studies):
• ~90% of startups fail
• ~10% reach Series A
• ~3–5% reach Series B
• <1% reach IPO or large exit
Failure timing:
• ~38% fail due to running out of cash
• ~35% fail due to lack of market need
• ~20% fail due to team issues
Median failure time: 20–24 months
• ~90% of startups fail
• ~10% reach Series A
• ~3–5% reach Series B
• <1% reach IPO or large exit
Failure timing:
• ~38% fail due to running out of cash
• ~35% fail due to lack of market need
• ~20% fail due to team issues
Median failure time: 20–24 months
List of non-dilutive grants founders can apply to even without much traction:
desifounder.com/d/Funding/co...
desifounder.com/d/Funding/co...
Non-dilutive startup grants you can apply to with minimum traction
List of non-dilutive grants founders can apply to even without much traction:
- Google for Startups: up to $100k credits
- AWS Activate: up to $100k credits
- Microsoft for Startups: up to $150k cred...
desifounder.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:40 AM
List of non-dilutive grants founders can apply to even without much traction:
desifounder.com/d/Funding/co...
desifounder.com/d/Funding/co...
Free AI Premium plans available for India:
- Gemini Pro: 18 Months Free for Jio customers (claim by October 29, 2026)
- ChatGPT Go: 12 Months Free for everyone in India (No specified end date)
- Perplexity Pro: 12 Months Free for Airtel users (claim by January 16, 2026)
- Gemini Pro: 18 Months Free for Jio customers (claim by October 29, 2026)
- ChatGPT Go: 12 Months Free for everyone in India (No specified end date)
- Perplexity Pro: 12 Months Free for Airtel users (claim by January 16, 2026)
December 17, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Free AI Premium plans available for India:
- Gemini Pro: 18 Months Free for Jio customers (claim by October 29, 2026)
- ChatGPT Go: 12 Months Free for everyone in India (No specified end date)
- Perplexity Pro: 12 Months Free for Airtel users (claim by January 16, 2026)
- Gemini Pro: 18 Months Free for Jio customers (claim by October 29, 2026)
- ChatGPT Go: 12 Months Free for everyone in India (No specified end date)
- Perplexity Pro: 12 Months Free for Airtel users (claim by January 16, 2026)
Accelerators that accept solo founders:
- Pioneer
- Antler (pre-team model)
- Founder Institute
- Neo
- AI2 Incubator
- Betaworks AI Camp
- On Deck (fellowship, not capital)
- APX (solo founders common)
YC and Techstars say they accept solo founders, but success rate is lower.
- Pioneer
- Antler (pre-team model)
- Founder Institute
- Neo
- AI2 Incubator
- Betaworks AI Camp
- On Deck (fellowship, not capital)
- APX (solo founders common)
YC and Techstars say they accept solo founders, but success rate is lower.
December 16, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Accelerators that accept solo founders:
- Pioneer
- Antler (pre-team model)
- Founder Institute
- Neo
- AI2 Incubator
- Betaworks AI Camp
- On Deck (fellowship, not capital)
- APX (solo founders common)
YC and Techstars say they accept solo founders, but success rate is lower.
- Pioneer
- Antler (pre-team model)
- Founder Institute
- Neo
- AI2 Incubator
- Betaworks AI Camp
- On Deck (fellowship, not capital)
- APX (solo founders common)
YC and Techstars say they accept solo founders, but success rate is lower.
A small UX fix can beat a giant new feature.
December 16, 2025 at 5:04 AM
A small UX fix can beat a giant new feature.
The best SEO for your product is the word-of-mouth.
December 13, 2025 at 7:09 AM
The best SEO for your product is the word-of-mouth.
The best retention tool is solving the same problem, better and better.
December 10, 2025 at 4:17 AM
The best retention tool is solving the same problem, better and better.
When your product solves a real pain, features become optional.
December 7, 2025 at 4:39 AM
When your product solves a real pain, features become optional.
The hardest part of entrepreneurship is believing in something long before the evidence shows up.
December 2, 2025 at 7:58 AM
The hardest part of entrepreneurship is believing in something long before the evidence shows up.
Your biggest competitor is the user choosing to do nothing.
December 1, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Your biggest competitor is the user choosing to do nothing.
A startup is a constant negotiation between what you want to build and what reality demands.
November 30, 2025 at 4:42 AM
A startup is a constant negotiation between what you want to build and what reality demands.
Big spenders are always late adopters, you won't get to your late adopters if you can't satisfy your early adopters.
November 28, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Big spenders are always late adopters, you won't get to your late adopters if you can't satisfy your early adopters.
Your product roadmap is a wishlist. Your users decide what actually matters.
November 24, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Your product roadmap is a wishlist. Your users decide what actually matters.
The most underrated startup skill: explaining your idea so simply that anyone gets it.
November 22, 2025 at 9:41 AM
The most underrated startup skill: explaining your idea so simply that anyone gets it.
19 Important Marketing Channels from the book Traction: How Startups Achieve Explosive Growth
November 20, 2025 at 7:06 AM
19 Important Marketing Channels from the book Traction: How Startups Achieve Explosive Growth
Your first version won’t be good, but it just needs to be real enough to learn from.
November 20, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Your first version won’t be good, but it just needs to be real enough to learn from.
Your product doesn’t need to amaze people. It needs to solve something they’re tired of dealing with.
November 19, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Your product doesn’t need to amaze people. It needs to solve something they’re tired of dealing with.
The best moat is execution speed nobody else can match.
November 18, 2025 at 7:04 AM
The best moat is execution speed nobody else can match.
A startup’s culture is shaped more by who you fire early than who you hire first.
November 16, 2025 at 5:34 AM
A startup’s culture is shaped more by who you fire early than who you hire first.
If you’re not obsessed with the problem, you’ll give up before the solution appears.
November 13, 2025 at 12:05 PM
If you’re not obsessed with the problem, you’ll give up before the solution appears.
If your team only hears about your wins, you’re training them to fear failure.
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 AM
If your team only hears about your wins, you’re training them to fear failure.
Every founder starts with self-doubt. The best ones just keep building through it.
November 11, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Every founder starts with self-doubt. The best ones just keep building through it.
If you want to build something great, get comfortable with uncertainty.
November 10, 2025 at 4:17 AM
If you want to build something great, get comfortable with uncertainty.
Every startup has one rule: stay alive long enough to get lucky.
November 9, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Every startup has one rule: stay alive long enough to get lucky.