Why Investors Fund Credibility, Not Originality
- Guy van der Walt
- Oct 19
- 1 min read
In 1998, I was once a Founder of do-gooders.com. Today, its remembered by a few, but is accepted in these circles as the first crowd-funding platform for charity fundraising. It became Just-Giving, and I didn't have a seat at the table. I was a obsessed by my "idea." I thought being "first" or "original" was the prize. It didn't work. It was painful.
A high-level family office strategist, John Russo, just wrote the "no-fluff" truth:
"Originality is not the admission ticket, credibility is."
He's 100% right. Investors are not "underwriting your journey"; they are "underwriting a destination." They are risk managers. Your job isn't to be a "visionary"; it's to be the most credible, disciplined operator in the room.
How do you build this credibility?
1. Dominate a Niche: Show you can "dominate" one vertical, not "invented the category."
2. Be Specific: "Specificity is the currency of trust." This is why our "Red Team" workshop exists. We build the plan that connects every CHF to a measurable Growth milestone.
3. Show the Exit: "The last page... is the exit."
This is why our Capital Raise service builds the M&A case from day one. It's not an easy lesson to learn, but poets sell "poetry". Stop selling "poetry". Prove you can execute.