The VC says, “I’m just not sure about this. It seems too cute to work. The industry is still in it’s infant stages…”

Having encountered this argument before, the entrepreneur has come prepared. Out of his chair, two hands on the table, leaping across the table, and in a raised voice, he cuts off the VC: “Too cute? Too infantile? Look, I’m like knut. Not a nut, but like knut. You know knut?”. He reaches into his brief case and pulls out a photo. “This is knut”, he says, holding the photo (seen below) inches from VC’s face. The VC leans back. “That’s right, lean back (editor’s note: curbs urge to reference Fat Joe’s hit) maybe it’ll give you some perspective”.

There’s a brief and awkward silence, and then his voice, this time much lower, resumes. “This is my business today. Cute and infantile, just like knut was a year ago”. Seated, he again reaches into the brief case and pulls out another photo (seen below). Sliding it across the table like an offer for a negotiation, he says calmly, “This is my business one year from now”.