The first key question to evaluate your startup idea is whether you have founder-market fit, meaning you are the right team to work on this idea.

A good investor will listen to your pitch and envision the potential success of your startup, rather than just poking holes in your idea.

When considering what makes a great founder, it's essential to reflect on your own skills and readiness for the role.

Invest in founders who have a strong track record and the capability to lead their companies effectively, even if the market is tough.

To be a successful founder, you need to have grit, run experiments, and believe in your mission wholeheartedly.

Investors often reject pitches because they don't see the founder as capable of leading a large organization, which is a significant concern during the investment process.

To be a great founder, you should possess some superpowers, such as being a good product person and having strong leadership and persuasion skills, while also balancing belief in your vision with a healthy paranoia about whether you're tracking against your investment thesis.

Evaluate your startup idea based on its potential scale, such as whether it could generate significant revenue and if it aligns with venture capital expectations.

Investors evaluate founders by comparing them to previous successful ones, and a rejection can occur if a founder doesn't match that pattern or ranks lower than others currently pitching.