I was on the same panel as Drew Glover, and one line he said really stuck with me: your do/say ratio over time is a great way to build trust with investors.
What it means is simple. Whatever you say you’ll do, make sure you actually do it. That’s how trust compounds over time, whether with investors, your team, or anyone you work with.
This doesn’t mean setting the bar low and achieving it 100% (no sandbagging!) And the do/say ratio doesn’t have to be capped at 1 either. “Underpromise and overdeliver” can really be a math problem: a high numerator (do) and a lower denominator (say).
Maintaining a high do/say ratio often takes creativity. In the startup world, things aren’t linear. You have to find a way when there is no way.
The other key phrase here is “over time.” Trust can only be built over time. It’s built by consistently showing up and delivering.
What’s been your do/say ratio lately?