Are VCs Really That Bad?

New York City is a much safer place than it was 10 years ago.  Even so, when people come to the City from out of town they often ask for advice about avoiding danger.  My standard reply is, “If you look like you know where you’re going, no one will bother you.  If you look like your lost, you’re a target.”  This came to mind when I read Fred’s post We Suck Less which linked back to Paul Graham’s terrific post A Unified Theory of VC Suckage.  Clearly, if you can get a business off the ground, as Jerry Colonna suggests, without raising VC money, you should.  But if you think your business will be well-served by the people Paul colorfully describes, you must go into it with your eyes open.  In other words, you have to look like you know where you’re going.  Not just where your business is going, but where the VCs’ business is going too.