🍫 What M&Ms Taught Me About Due Diligence

90% of founders fail this hidden test.

Small signals. Million-pound decisions.

The Van Halen Truth 🎸 Back in the 80s, Van Halen buried a “no brown M&Ms” clause in their contracts. Not rockstar ego, a genius compliance check.

If brown M&Ms showed up backstage, they knew the promoter hadn’t read the contract properly.

Translation: the stage setup might be unsafe.

VCs do the same but their “M&M test” is your inbox.

What Your Response Time Reveals 📧 Your email habits tell investors everything they need to know: • Operational discipline – how you’ll run the company • Prioritisation – how you’ll manage limited resources • Relationships – how you’ll treat customers & partners • Execution speed – how quickly you’ll move in-market

Your inbox is a mirror of your leadership.

The Deadly Response Timeframes ⏱ 💬 Sequoia partner email → >2 hrs = ⚠️ red flag 📄 Due diligence request → >24 hrs = 💀 deal killer 🤝 Warm intro → >48 hrs = 🚪 missed opportunity 📬 Follow-up questions → >1 day = ❌ execution doubts

Tiny delays. Massive signals.

What You Think vs What VCs See 💣 🧠 “I’m prioritising deep work” → ❌ Can’t manage basics 🎯 “Quality over speed” → ❌ Slow operator 🔥 “I’m just busy” → ❌ Poor stress management

Remember: “If you can’t manage your inbox, VCs won’t trust you to manage their millions.”

Your response time isn’t about courtesy. It’s about capability.

Author

Ai Base Network (ABN), ABN ASIA was founded by people with deep roots in academia, with work experience in the US, Holland, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam. ABN Asia is where academia and technology meet opportunity. With our cutting-edge solutions and competent software development services, we're helping businesses level up and take on the global scene. Our commitment: Faster. Better. More reliable. In most cases: Cheaper as well.

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