Managing expectations

Over the past decade as an investor, I’ve had the occasional founder who constantly misses deadlines and it kills me…

It’s not just about investor updates or reports.

They set the bar too high or too low, missing their own projections and then scramble to explain why. Or even worse, they don’t explain anything at all.

Here's the hard truth: People often overestimate the time they have or the time it takes to accomplish a goal.

I used to do this myself. I'd hop on a call and confidently say, "I'll get back to you by the end of the week." Then Friday would roll around and I'd be drowning in unexpected commitments.

Managing expectations isn't just about other people — It's about being honest with yourself.

Every day, we're filling up our calendars, making promises, and setting arbitrary deadlines. We often do this because we want to be helpful.

But this instinct can be dangerous. My advice to all founders is this:

- Give yourself longer timelines than you think you need
- Offer an alternative when someone pushes for an aggressive timeline
- Say “NO” 10x more than you say “YES”, particularly when it involves a “Networking event”
- Under-promise and over-deliver... every single time

Because at the end of the day, venture capital like much of life is ALL a game of managing expectations. And the fastest way to lose that game is to constantly miss your own deadlines.