Credentials vs Traction: What Actually Closes Rounds

The Credential Trap

• Spending half your pitch on where you worked, who you know, and what degrees you have signals one thing: you don't have traction to talk about
• 20,000 people were senior engineers at Google — the credential alone doesn't differentiate you or prove you can build a successful company
• Impressive advisory boards and famous investors don't compensate for zero revenue — investors see through credential stacking quickly
• The strongest pitches lead with what you've built, not where you've been