Why hunger must come from within – —and how painful it is when it doesn’t

There’s nothing more frustrating than believing in a founder more than they believe in themselves.

I’ve backed hundreds of entrepreneurs. Some were raw but relentless. Others were polished but passive. The hardest part of early-stage investing isn’t the risk. It’s the emotional cost of giving time, capital, belief—only to realise the founder won’t meet you halfway.

You can give someone every opportunity. But you can’t give them hunger.

The Silent Stall

This doesn’t usually happen with a loud failure. It happens quietly:

• The founder stops updating you.
• Weeks go by with no traction, no pivot, no urgency.
• They respond, but never initiate.
• They’re always “thinking about” next steps—but never executing.

From the outside, they still look active. But inside, the drive is gone. They’re waiting for the business to push itself forward.

You can offer support. But you can’t light the fire.

Why This Hurts to Watch

As an investor, mentor, or advisor, this is the most painful part of the job. You see the potential. You know what’s possible. You’re ready to back them all the way.

But they won’t move.

And slowly, you realise: you’re dragging someone who should be driving.

It drains you. Not because they failed—but because they never truly tried. Not at the level that builds anything lasting.

Hunger Can’t Be Installed

I’ve learned the hard way: you can’t transfer urgency. You can’t force ambition. You can’t coach someone into caring more than they already do.

Hunger has to come from within. It shows up in how they use time, how they make decisions, how they show up when no one’s watching.

Founders who want it badly enough make it obvious.
The ones who don’t eventually reveal that too.

What I Look for Now

Before I invest, I don’t just ask what the founder is building—I watch how they behave without incentives.

• Do they follow up without being chased?
• Are they building when no one is clapping?
• Have they taken risks before funding arrives?
• Do they own outcomes—or always have a reason why something didn’t happen?

I want to work with people who already move. Who already push. Who already carry weight without needing applause.

Final Thought

The hardest lesson I’ve learned in this game is this:

You can mentor, guide, fund, support, and believe.
But if the founder won’t push themselves—none of it matters.

Because in the end, you can’t build for someone who won’t show up for their own vision.