MAKE YOUR OWN TIME: Don't wait for the investor to say "Yes"

I emailed six VCs today to get their attention about a startup that is raising a second round of capital. It will be used to launch the service early next year. The founders have a world-class VC moving with classical glacial speed, doing investigation of the deal. Meanwhile the market is opening up in different parts of the world and the founders are getting very anxious. They decided to get pro-active about finding other VCs that will act faster.

That is how experienced entrepreneurs behave. They keep the ball rolling according to their pace, not the pace of others. When the ball slows down, they start pushing it along different paths. They do not wait for things to happen. They make things happen.

BOTTOM LINE: Waiting has a different meaning to an entrepreneur than a fisherman. Sometimes the angler must simply wait for the fish to arrive and start biting. But the entrepreneur acts, seeks the fish and when he finds them, stimulates them to bite.