A Founder Developing a Solution

A founder's product already works, in a small way, for a few hundred people in one town. The problem is not proof. It is that most support arrives at a stage he has not reached.

Early-stage support is often described as risky. In practice, it is where the smallest amount of help produces the largest change in direction.

Preparation matters here as much as capital: understanding requirements, describing the problem precisely, and knowing which pathway to pursue next.

Abdeex treats the earliest stage as the one worth backing, because that is where a small amount of help changes the most.