Essays/linkedin/25-08-12 why many deep‑tech startups fail after seed—and how to avoid it

<p>🌱 Getting seed funding is exhilarating. It also marks the beginning of the hardest stretch. Many deep‑tech startups stumble here. Why?</p> <p>• <strong>Long timelines</strong>. Hardware and scientific validation take longer than software sprints. Burn rate can outpace progress.<br /> • <strong>Customer disconnect</strong>. Founders retreat to the lab and stop talking to users. They ignore Steve Blank’s call to keep learning. • <strong>Misaligned expectations</strong>. Investors expect milestones that look like SaaS metrics. Deep‑tech has different KPIs.</p> <p>To avoid the post‑seed sinkhole:<br /> 1️⃣ <strong>Keep engaging with customers</strong>. Customer discovery doesn’t stop at seed; it intensifies.<br /> 2️⃣ <strong>Set the right metrics</strong>. Measure technical milestones (such as TRLs), risk reduction, and validated hypotheses.<br /> 3️⃣ <strong>Plan your runway</strong>. Raise enough to reach a de‑risked prototype, not just to file patents.</p> <p>What’s your top advice for surviving the seed stage in deep‑tech?</p>