Many years ago, I began researching about capital fundraising, Angel investing, and bootstrapping. I had several stereotypes in my head. Mainly, I thought Angel Investors were, Angelic …

And from what I read briefly about Venture Capitalists, this was my image:

And I confused a Bootstrapper with

Like I said, this was many years ago.

Now I know better. And last night, at the MassChallenge Texas meeting, I learned about what avenues to pursue after graduating from an accelerator bootcamp, including bootstrapping, venture capital, and other options.

It was a great discussion, and the panelists were very open and honest about what it took for each of them to succeed in their specific industry.

Once things wrapped up, I spoke briefly with the Venture Capital panelist. I did my best 30 second elevator pitch. She was nice and seemed interested in my idea.

When I left, I recalled my first encounter with a Venture Capitalist some time ago.

Here’s a photo and GIF representation of what happened:

This experience is what I would call a “Fast Fail”.

No, I didn’t meet a similar fate of Paul Allen’s character from American Psycho. That horrible first encounter with a VC was actually a blessing in disguise. I decided that I wouldn’t be so unprepared the next time I attended a networking event. I did flub many times in other meetings, but eventually, I got to the point where I could relax and enjoy my surroundings.

Hope you enjoyed my awkward, wistful memories. Let me know what you think!