Balamurugan, co-founder, Anicut Capital, and Prof Suresh Bhagavatula, countered that ideas and intent do not translate into execution without capital. Drawing on historical examples, he referred to the funding of Christopher Columbus’ voyage as an early instance of capital enabling exploration, arguing that even large ideas require initial backing to launch.
The funders’ argument centred on the role of capital as a constant force across ventures. While founders may shift from one idea to another, they described funders as a continuing presence across multiple businesses.
Bhagavatula, however, pointed to shifts within the investment landscape itself. “Modern investing is increasingly myopic and deterministic with a focus on unicorns and flavour of the season sectors such as edtech and AI. Earlier approaches supported the exploratory journey of entrepreneurship,” he opined.
Pravin Shekar of Outlier Marketer and Sonali Gupta, founder of Science of Startups, positioned facilitators as the layer that enabled both founders and funders to operate effectively. Shekar argued that both ideas and capital remain ineffective without the systems that connect them.
Using the analogy of a ship that remains stationary until it catches wind, he stated, “Facilitators provide momentum through networks, mentorship and access. Founders often rely on peer networks and informal advisory groups to navigate decisions, particularly in situations where they cannot turn to employees or investors.”
Leave a Reply