Should You Start a VC-Backed Startup in 2026?

Hosted by Vidya Raman

In this video

What you'll learn

Know if you’re truly ready to pursue a VC-backed startup

Not “someday”—but based on how investors actually assess founders before a deck or demo.

Pressure-test your idea using a VC lens

Learn the specific signals VCs look for in very early B2B ideas—and the red flags that quietly kill interest.

Understand what you should figure out first.

A practical way to decide whether to move forward, pause, or deliberately walk away—without regret.

Why this topic matters

Many professionals feel stuck in “almost founder” mode. The result? Months (or years) of overthinking, quiet anxiety, and half-progress. This session gives you something rare: a structured way to evaluate yourself and your idea before you burn time, money, or reputation. Whether you ultimately build—or decide not to—you’ll leave with clarity instead of guesswork.

You'll learn from

Vidya Raman

Founder & Managing Partner at FirstByte Ventures, San Francisco Bay Area-based.

Previously, she was a Partner at Sorenson Capital ($1.6B AUM), where she evaluated thousands of early-stage companies and invested in multiple enterprise startups at the earliest stages.

Before venture capital, Vidya spent over a decade as a product leader at companies like Cloudera and Silicon Valley startups—giving her a rare perspective on how founders look from both sides of the table.

She has seen firsthand: