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Watch out for messy cap tables where non-active advisors own 20% of the equity for doing nothing. It creates toxic incentive dynamics and makes follow-on institutional VC funding nearly impossible to secure later.
The biggest red flag for me is a founder who gets defensive when questioned about competition. If you claim you have zero competitors, it usually means you haven't done basic market research or there is no market for your product.
Shares warning signs during initial meetings—such as poor cap table hygiene, defensiveness, or slow communication—that turn angels away.