DiscoverFinance Tech Brief By HackerNoonCracking the Code: Lessons I Learned About VCs, Pitch Decks, and Building a Product Mindset
Cracking the Code: Lessons I Learned About VCs, Pitch Decks, and Building a Product Mindset

Cracking the Code: Lessons I Learned About VCs, Pitch Decks, and Building a Product Mindset

Update: 2025-09-22
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This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/cracking-the-code-lessons-i-learned-about-vcs-pitch-decks-and-building-a-product-mindset.

From rejections to real wins: what I learned about fundraising, building products step by step, and pitching to pragmatic London investors.

Check more stories related to finance at: https://hackernoon.com/c/finance.
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This story was written by: @evgenypavlov. Learn more about this writer by checking @evgenypavlov's about page,
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When I started raising capital, I had this naive belief that venture capitalists (VCs) were guided purely by formulas and frameworks. What I learned through countless conversations, rejections, and some hard-won wins is that investor decisions are deeply subjective. At pre-seed, VCs are mostly betting on the founder — on your character, your resilience, and your ability to learn fast.

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Cracking the Code: Lessons I Learned About VCs, Pitch Decks, and Building a Product Mindset

Cracking the Code: Lessons I Learned About VCs, Pitch Decks, and Building a Product Mindset

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