𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Many believe a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits is a safe bet. 

But founder experience can often be overvalued in startup land.

Here’s why:

 • 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 ≠ 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Overconfidence can lead to poor decisions.

 • 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲: Deep expertise can limit adaptability.

 • The “𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿” isn’t always the best bet: Charisma can mask red flags.

Want to level up your evaluation game? This cheat sheet covers:

1️⃣ The Berkus Method

2️⃣ Common Misconceptions About Founder Experience

3️⃣ Best Practices for Evaluating Founders

4️⃣ Balanced Founder Experience Valuation

5️⃣ “The Founder’s Dilemma” by Noam Wasserman

6️⃣ The Founder Experience Matrix

7️⃣ Red Flags in Founder Valuation

As Chris Tottman often advises, “It’s not just about past wins—it’s about adaptability, learning agility, and building the right team.”