010 | Grit & Stubbornness Look Similar

As a VC, I often grapple with a crucial question: is this founder showing grit or stubbornness? In this article, I share my framework for evaluating persistence in AEC startups, emphasizing why learning and adaptability are key in our complex industry.

(01:15) Consistency vs. Adaptability

(02:26) Info Asymmetry Can Make It Hard To Diagnose

(04:00) Learning From Customer Truths

(05:00) … But AECS Makes Diagnosis Harder

(06:09) How To (Self-) Diagnose Grit or Stubbornness in Your AECS Venture

Last week, I met with five AEC founders. All were pushing hard, but I couldn't tell if they were showing grit or just being stubborn. This got me thinking.

Grit And Stubbornness Look Similar

Building in AEC is tough. Really tough. You need grit to succeed. But sometimes, that grit can look a lot like stubbornness.

Picture this: A founder, two years in, still pushing their original idea. Are they persistent or just stuck? From the outside, it's hard to tell.

In AEC, this is even trickier. Our industry is complex. Lots of moving parts. Lots of stakeholders. What looks like stubbornness might be necessary persistence in navigating this maze.

But here's the thing: As a VC, I need to tell the difference. My job is to back gritty founders, not stubborn ones.

So how do we do it? How do we know when to push and when to pivot?

I think it comes down to learning. Are you still learning from your customers? Are you adapting based on those learnings? If yes, that's grit. If not, you might be stuck.

In AEC, we have a unique challenge. Our industry has so many niches. So many potential pivot points. It's easy to justify "just one more try" in a slightly different market.

But here's a number that might shock you: 90% of startups fail. In AEC, I bet it's even higher. Why? Because we confuse grit with stubbornness.

Here's my thesis: True grit in AEC is about learning and adapting. It's not about blindly pushing forward. It's about being smart enough to know when to pivot.

Think about it. The AEC industry is worth $11 trillion globally. But it's fragmented. Complex. To capture even a slice of that, you need to be adaptable.

So, to all the AEC founders out there: Be gritty, not stubborn. Keep learning. Keep adapting. And remember, sometimes the grittiest thing you can do is admit you were wrong and change course.