Establishing a startup is akin to constructing a home.

This situation is so ludicrous that you would dismiss the contractor before they even set foot through your yet-to-be-installed front door. Astonishingly, a similar scenario unfolds when many startup founders present their ideas to potential investors. According to my research, over half of these founders fail to provide a convincing "use of funds" slide, and this is far from ideal. Founders, there is room for improvement.

Just as you would demand a blueprint, timeline, and a clear vision for your future home when building a house, startup founders should offer investors a concrete plan. Accepting a contractor with vague intentions to "wing it" wouldn't be satisfactory. However, in the startup realm, founders often expect investors to buy into a dream laden with ambiguity.

Investors, like homeowners, are not inclined to invest in a foundation that leads nowhere. They seek to invest in a "house" that, at the end of the construction period, stands tall and is ready for the next phase, whether it involves living in or selling. For a startup, the equivalent of a "finished house" isn't just bricks, mortar, and fancy USB power sockets; it's built on milestones and achievements.