What really happens after the startup consulting ends and the founders face decisions no pitch deck ever prepared them for?
In this episode of Tech Talks Daily I sit down with you Vijay Rajendrana founder, venture capitalist, UC Berkeley instructor, and author of The Funding Framework, to discuss the realities of business building that rarely appear on social feeds or investor blogs. Vijay has spent years working with founders at the sharp end of growth, from the early fundraising conversations to the personal and leadership shifts that scaling requires. That experience shapes a conversation that is refreshingly honest, thoughtful and rooted in lived reality.
We explore why building something people actually want sounds simple in theory, but proves to be extremely difficult in practice. Vijay explains how timing, speed of learning, and willingness to adapt are often more important than a stubborn vision, and why many founders misunderstand what momentum really looks like. From there, the discussion turns to investor relationships, not as transactional events, but as long-term partnerships that require founders to shift their mindset from defense to evaluation. The emotional and psychological dynamics of fundraising come into focus, especially the moments when founders underestimate how much power they actually have in shaping those relationships.
Much of this conversation is about leadership identity. Vijay explains the messy transition from chief everything officer to true chief executive, and explains why the most overlooked phase of that journey is learning how to enable others. We talk about the point where founders become the bottleneck, often without realizing it, and why this tends to surface as teams grow and decisions happen outside the founder’s direct line of sight. The plateau that many companies reach at scale becomes less mysterious when you view it through this lens.
We also challenge some of the most popular startup advice circulating online today, specifically around fundraising volume, pitching styles, and the idea that only perseverance guarantees results. Vijay shares why treating fundraising like business sales, emphasizing alignment over volume and listening more than pitching, often leads to better results. The conversation concludes with practical reflections on personal growth, co-founder dynamics, and how leaders can regain clarity during periods of pressure without abdicating responsibility.
If you’re building a company, leading a team, or wondering whether you’re evolving as quickly as your business requires, this episode will probably hit closer to home than you expect. And once you’ve listened, I’d love to hear what appeals to you most and what leadership questions you still have after the conversation.
Useful links
Subscribe to the Tech Talks daily podcast
#Vijay #Rajendran #Startup #Advice #Fails #Reality #Kicks