Author: Grant Millsap, Cortado Ventures Summer Intern, 2024

Foreword

As a college student who aspires to someday become an entrepreneur, I came into Cortado’s summer internship wanting to not only understand the experience of a venture capitalist, but also the relationship between a founder and their investor. I wanted to understand what an investor looks for in an entrepreneur approaching them for funding. Through many meetings with founders and one-on-ones with Cortado team members, I drew several key takeaways that I can bring into my final year of study at the University of Oklahoma and beyond. This article describes three mythical principles that I believe are especially helpful for anyone who wants to be a golden entrepreneur for their investors.

Mythical heroes have enthralled humanity across cultures and generations. Stories like Hercules and his 12 labors, Jason and his golden fleece, and Theseus and the minotaur capture our attention because we can relate to them. After all, we at least sometimes see ourselves as the hero of our own story. While most may just view these stories as entertainment, they can be a relative guide for those who are on the entrepreneurial journey. Solving one problem only for two more to emerge is akin to Hydra and its multiple heads. Founders and entrepreneurs are the heroes of innovation today, boldly stepping out to find and solve problems. Just like in ancient Greek mythology, there are always a few people betting on them to succeed and bring home the treasure. Here are a few ways you can be the hero of your investors story:

#1 Reach for Mount Olympus and know how to get there.

As all great heroes have a purpose and a significant challenge to overcome, so do those who find themselves in the position of entrepreneur. Often, in facing what seems like an insurmountable challenge, you meet others who share the same passion for adventure and are willing to pursue Olympus-worthy glory alongside you. We call these people — these patrons of sorts — investors. To warrant their support, the goal must be substantial enough to significantly change the world if achieved. Your patrons want a dreamer who thinks big, but they also want a realist who can get it there. Investors want a hero who can take that Olympus-worthy vision “up the mountain.” When you walk into an investor pitch, you must give them the big picture while also explaining your next moves in detail to win them over. To be your investor’s hero, you must have a grand vision but also be able to back it up with a thought-out, logical plan.

#2 Show you and your crew will do whatever it takes — Twelve Labors and then some.

Every story from antiquity that is memorable enough to be talked about today had no shortage of conflict and challenges. Whether it’s Hercules wrestling the Nemean lion, Theseus slaying the minotaur, or Achilles battling the Trojans, all heroes in a good story must do difficult, uncomfortable things to achieve their goal. To be the hero of you and your investors’ story, you must be willing to put in the work required to push forward towards your goal.

While heroes may be the protagonists of a story, they are not the only characters in the story. Indeed, there are many people that enable the hero to accomplish his or her great feats. It is important for you to recruit talented companions (teammates) to embark on the perilous journey alongside you. As important, you must entreat the favor of those patrons we mentioned earlier (investors, key stakeholders). Jason didn’t snatch the golden fleece by himself; he had a whole band of 50 separate heroes that were with him on his quest. Likewise, Perseus was only able to slay Medusa after Athena gave him her polished shield to see and Hermes gave him his harpe sword to smite her. You must be able to develop a network of deep relationships of individuals who will join you on your adventure or give you the tools you need to make your myth a reality.

#3 Be a bold and confident leader but beware of your own Hubris.

The hero of a story is a hero for a reason. He or she probably has some sort of skill, talent, or even just the willingness to put themselves out there that puts them in the spotlight of a narrative. Even in an underdog story the hero eventually develops from a nobody to a somebody. It is important for you as an aspiring entrepreneur to remember that you have something you are bringing to the table, and you should have double confidence in your ability to reach your high goal.

The hero may have some amazing traits and skills which make them a great leader, but no human hero is perfect. As the saying goes “pride cometh before the fall.” Many arrogant entrepreneurs ignore the advice of their team or investors, and just as Icarus, will fall to their untimely demise. Heroes have a weakness, something that makes them, at least in part, human. In short, we all have an Achilles heel. You must be aware enough to spot your weaknesses, and more importantly, humble enough to admit that you even have a weakness, and you want to overcome it. A hero entrepreneur is open and willing to take advice from their investors on certain issues, but also must balance their humility with their own personal conviction about things that he or she does know. It is a difficult art between knowing when to follow advice and when to ignore it, and it’s impossible to do it perfectly. Nonetheless, if you are confident when you know, and humble enough to take advice when you don’t, your investor will appreciate you.

Be the Hero

There are many other things that you can do to become a hero for your investors and your other stakeholders. At a minimum, you should think big, plan often, be tough, develop deep relationships, and humbly accept advice while boldly pushing forward. The world, with all its challenges, needs more solutions. To bring forth these solutions, we need someone to step up and be the hero. As entrepreneurs and founders, we look to you as the heroes of today.

About Cortado Ventures

Cortado Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in ambitious, growth-driven companies to define a new generation of economic prosperity for the Midcontinent region. As one of the largest VC funds in Oklahoma, Cortado’s focus is on tech companies bringing innovative solutions to the energy, logistics, life sciences, aerospace, and the future of work sectors. For more information, visit cortado.ventures.

References

The inspiration for this article came from the following personal interviews:

Harding, Nathaniel. Personal Interview. June 20 2024

Waraich, Matt. Personal Interview. July 28 2024

Bixler, Blake. Personal Interview. July 28 2024

Moring, Susan. Personal Interview. June 18 2024

Patel, Mansi. Personal Interview. June 26 2024