[V+ Perspective] Focus on Execution, Not Glamour: The Early Growth Signals Investors Care About Most

In the world of early-stage startups, the biggest challenge is often not the lack of opportunities, but rather having too many seemingly attractive ones—and not knowing which to prioritize. You may have received countless invitations: “strategic partnership” meetings with large corporations, proposals to establish joint ventures, startup competitions, media exposure, or cross-industry collaborations. Almost all of them seem full of potential, as if just a bit of effort could push your company to the next milestone.

However, the reality is harsh: the vast majority of these opportunities end up only in press releases and slide decks, with little real impact on product deployment or business model validation. Since early-stage startups already operate with scarce time and resources, when teams invest heavily in these seemingly important collaborations, the real value-creating work often gets pushed aside.

For early-stage companies, focusing on business contracts that can actually be executed is the most pragmatic and effective way to grow. Only real contracts bring revenue, drive product implementation, validate commercialization capabilities, and ultimately put the company on a more stable growth trajectory.

Investor Observations: Five Common Myths That Distract Early Startups

Myth 1: The Joint Venture Illusion

At first glance, creating a joint venture looks like a win-win: tying into a large corporation’s resources and gaining long-term collaboration. In reality, many early teams end up losing control over their product roadmap and decision-making. Without clear business volume or revenue goals, joint ventures rarely deliver true growth for startups. What investors value more is the team’s independent product strength and commercialization capability, not over-reliance on external resources.

Myth 2: The Mirage of Strategic Partnerships

Phrases like “let’s go to market together” or “win-win collaboration” sound wonderful. But without clear KPIs and contractual amounts, these partnerships often consume precious time and resources while doing little to validate the business model. Every collaboration should generate measurable business results. Otherwise, it risks becoming a distraction. Early teams must learn to filter opportunities and focus on projects that bring tangible revenue and growth.

Myth 3: Media Exposure and Startup Awards

Many early teams spend enormous time preparing pitches, giving interviews, or competing in contests, ending up with applause and trophies—but not necessarily customers or revenue. Media and competitions can enhance branding, but for startups, they should remain supportive tools, not core strategies. Real competitiveness still comes from sustainable business growth and commercialization validation.

Myth 4: Perfectionist Delays in Technology

“Let’s optimize the model by another 10% before launch.” This sounds reasonable, but excessive perfectionism often causes teams to miss opportunities for rapid iteration and market validation. For early teams, having paying customers first and then continually improving the experience is a healthier path. Speed and real user feedback are usually more important than technical perfection at the early stage.

Myth 5: Vanity of Fundraising Rounds and Competitor Anxiety

Some teams focus too much on fundraising amounts, valuation rankings, or competitor moves, while neglecting their own product and business model refinement. Fundraising should be viewed as a growth enabler, not the end goal. By focusing on customer needs and business model optimization, teams naturally secure better terms in subsequent rounds.

Why Investors Value “Signed Contracts” Over “Press Releases”

Compared to distractions, securing actual business contracts provides three irreplaceable values for early-stage startups:

Cash Flow and Commercial Validation

A business contract means a customer is willing to pay for your product or service. This not only brings cash flow but also validates product value directly. To investors, a revenue-generating team is far more convincing than one relying only on market slogans, since it proves the business model has been initially validated.

Product Implementation and Demand Alignment

Signed contracts push teams to deliver products in real-world settings while continuously adjusting to market needs. This provides far more meaningful feedback than hundreds of free trials or letters of intent, helping products iterate quickly.

Clarity in Focus and Resource Allocation

Contracts with defined deliverables require teams to set clear KPIs, timelines, and resource allocations. This ensures that focus stays on core products and sustainable business models, rather than lingering in vague conceptual stages.

Investor Takeaway: Business Contracts Are the Focus Amplifier for Startups

For early-stage startups with limited resources, the greatest risk isn’t a lack of opportunities—it’s being distracted by too many that lack real value. Signing business contracts not only generates revenue but also proves the company has found the intersection of product, business model, and market demand, moving forward on the right track. For entrepreneurs, focusing on executable collaborations is essentially focusing on survival and real growth. This is the core growth signal most worth pursuing at the early stage.