The PR Cassandra

As I prepare to teach an adult Sabbath School lesson on the book of Daniel, while concurrently working with two tech startups to refine our funding pitch (thanks to guidance from SVASE events), it has occurred to me that funding is like religion. What do I mean by that provocative statement?

In both cases, it is a combination of evidence and experience – along with an ultimate leap of faith. 

For example, my husband and I have a Seventh-day Adventist apologetics lay ministry about the evidence for the truth of the Bible and the accuracy of Scripture.  However, as much as one studies and finds extra-Biblical evidence in archaeology, burials, inscriptions and so on, ultimately one’s experience of divinity leads to one intotaking a leap of faith to believe.

In the same way, as I am participating in the process of developing materials that are designed to show an investor evidence of a large market with unmet needs for which my venture has the solution, let’s face it – no one can know the future.  However, if we can get the investor to believe as we do, then during the due diligence process, the investor collects more and more experience: of the team and their abilities to execute on the proposed plan, as well as of the market and users to be served.

Evidence + experience + leap of faith = belief.  In religion, as well as in venture capital or, now even more aptly named in my opinion – through “angel” investment!