The most exceptional founders are so intensely focused on building their business that they deprioritize non-critical communication, even with investors. Their slow response time is a counter-intuitive signal of extreme dedication and focus, not disrespect.
Early-stage investors shouldn't be deterred by a small current market size. The key is assessing the potential for rapid growth and future scale. Many massive companies emerged from markets that initially appeared small, proving that market creation and expansion are critical variables.
Precursor Ventures makes "directional people bets" by investing smaller checks ($150-250K) in top-tier founders to fund their search for a viable business concept. This strategy prioritizes founder quality over the initial idea, recognizing that great founders can pivot to find product-market fit.