Last week at the Dragons’ Den Finals, one of the judges asked me, “Is your teammate your co-founder?”

I thought for a second, and replied honestly, “No, him and his team will develop the product. I am the Founder of my startup.”

Even after the event, I kept thinking about the purpose of the question.

The next day, I met that judge at another event.

We spoke about my pitch, and he gave me some feedback on it.

That’s when he mentioned that the team was a huge defining factor when it came to the winners.

He said he wanted to know what kind of support and expertise I had in my team; not whose idea it was.

“What if I had said ‘yes, he’s a Co-Founder,’ would I have won?”, I asked him curiously.

“I don’t think so. I think your honesty mattered here, because we already had an idea that he was NOT a Co-Founder based on your pitch. Saying yes wouldn’t have changed things…”

That was true.

My pitch was crystal clear about my team; changing it would not have made much of a difference.

What do you think?

Would you lie in a competition, if it would help you win?

Comment your answer!

#ShreyaWrites

P.S. Integrity: the choice between what’s convenient and what’s right.

~ Tony Dungy