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