

Ask HN: how do you tell an investor you don't want them to invest? - tomasien

I&#x27;m currently fundraising for my startup, and it&#x27;s going way better than expected - well enough where I&#x27;m in the position for the first time of actually being able to choose my investors carefully.<p>Recently a friend of a friend overheard me explaining the product and our raise and asked for a pitch meeting. This person has been a serious point if contention with the friend involved, since I believe strongly this person lacks integrity and the friend disagrees. Anyway, integrity is our number one quality we look for in people we involve in the company and it has to be - we&#x27;re in a sensitive space.<p>My question: how do I tell this person no without telling them that it&#x27;s because I question their integrity?
======
calcsam
"I'm sorry, there's not room in this round" usually does the trick. You don't
tell a friend of a friend that you don't trust him. If he is upset that he's
not going to be part of the round, he will ask your friend, and your friend
will tell him the truth.

That's the best way to handle these kind of sensitive situations.

~~~
tomasien
Thanks for the advice, I think that's what I'm going to end up doing. Your
point about him going to the friend is apt: it would just be too
confrontational for me to tell him, but I don't mind if he knows the reason.

