At the earliest stage of a startup, venture capitalists don’t have traditional metrics to rely on—no customer acquisition cost, no revenue projections, and no clear retention trends. But investors aren’t merely guessing; instead, they’re closely watching subtle signals that founders often overlook.
Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner at Precursor Ventures, is set to shed light on these hidden signals at TechCrunch All Stage 2025 on July 15 in Boston. Hudson’s session, “All the Ways You Don’t Realize VCs Are Evaluating Your Company at Pre-Seed,” promises to reveal precisely how early-stage investors scrutinize companies when tangible data is limited.
Hudson emphasizes that every aspect of a founder’s approach plays a critical role—from choosing co-founders to managing outreach efforts during fundraising. These seemingly minor decisions carry sizeable weight. Poorly matched founding teams, he notes, might hint at weaker future hires. Careless outreach implies a founder who hasn’t fully prepared, signaling deeper operational gaps.
With his extensive experience investing in pre-traction startups, Hudson is uniquely qualified to decode the nuanced assessments venture capitalists make. Prior to establishing Precursor Ventures, he served as a partner at SoftTech VC, where he concentrated on mobile infrastructure investments. Hudson stresses that successful early-stage investing hinges on strategic pattern recognition rather than guesswork.
TechCrunch All Stage will convene startup builders and investors spanning every phase of venture development at Boston’s SoWa Power Station. Designed as a one-day intensive experience, the event offers practical advice through candid dialogues led by seasoned entrepreneurs and venture experts. Hudson’s session stands out as a critical primer for startup founders aiming to decode the invisible criteria investors use to judge early potential.
For founders operating without widely used quantitative metrics, understanding investors’ implicit evaluations could prove decisive. Hudson’s talk is shaped by years of frontline experience, promising firsthand insights to founders working to secure their earliest funding rounds.
