What Every Investor Should Know Before Approving a Tech Build

Spoiler: just because a founder has a Figma and a pitch deck doesn’t mean they’re ready to build. Here's the checklist we wish every investor used.

1. Can they explain the product without slides?

If the founder can’t explain their core features in a 2-minute call without opening Notion, you’re about to fund a guessing game. Good products start with clear thinking, not UI sugar.

2. Do they have a validated functional spec?

We’re not talking about a 200-page PRD. Just a structured document that outlines what the product does, how it behaves, and what it doesn’t do. Bonus points if it’s written after getting real feedback from stakeholders.

3. Is there a shared understanding between business and tech?

This is where things usually fall apart. If the product owner and the dev team aren’t aligned on scope, priorities, and constraints — say hello to missed deadlines and burned cash. Ask them how they communicate specs internally. If the answer is "Slack threads", run.

4. Can they show you a mockup that tells a story?

We use narrated mockups with our clients because slides don’t scale and devs don’t read. If the team can walk you through a clickable flow with a voiceover that makes sense — it’s a green flag.

5. Do they know what NOT to build (yet)?

Maturity isn't saying "we can build it all" — it's knowing what to leave out of the first version. A good founder can prioritize. A great one tells you why they’re deferring certain features.