𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 "𝗻𝗼" 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 A small founder lesson I was reminded of this week: Not every "no" means your idea isn't good. Sometimes it simply means you're speaking to the wrong person for that chapter. I recently reached out to someone I respect deeply in the African venture ecosystem to get perspective on what we're building at PerAnkh. The response was honest and kind, but clear: "This isn't really my lane." And that's okay. Early on, it's easy to interpret every closed door as a verdict on your vision. But more often than not, it's just 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: • Timing mismatch • Scope mismatch • Focus mismatch None of which invalidate the problem you're trying to solve. What does matter is: • Approaching people with clarity and respect • Being open to hearing "not for me" without defensiveness • Knowing when to move on without burning bridges The goal isn't universal buy-in. It's alignment. If you're building something non-obvious, systemic, or category-creating, you'll hear a lot of "not my focus" before you hear a real "yes." That's part of the work. Onward. 🚀
