Founders Share VC Horror Stories on Social Media
Original: Founders share VC horror stories, and some are naming names
Why This Matters
Highlights systemic issues in VC-founder relationships and pitch processes
Tech founders shared venture capital horror stories on X this week, with sleeping VCs being the most common complaint. Greg Isenberg started the conversation describing a VC falling asleep for 30+ minutes during a $15M Series A pitch meeting.
A viral conversation on X revealed widespread VC horror stories from tech founders. Greg Isenberg, founder of Late Checkout Studio, initiated the discussion by describing a top-3 VC firm partner falling asleep for 30+ minutes during his $15M Series A pitch. Sleeping VCs emerged as the most common complaint, with Zynga founder Mark Pincus and WayUp co-founder Liz Wessel sharing similar experiences. Ironically, some sleeping VCs still sent term sheets afterward. Other horror stories included VCs ghosting after signing term sheets, pulling out last-minute, or treating ghosted founders like portfolio companies. Travis Kalanick shared how he followed a departing VC to his car to continue pitching. Former a16z partner Arianna Simpson joked about 'rampant narcolepsy' among VCs.