Benchmark

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Series A: Benchmark loved the market, passed on the team

founder_vc_reject_04·May 30, 2026·1 points

2026·SERIES_A

Reddit · reddit.com

a year in review applying to yc rejected twice

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What happened next

Raised funding

Added a VP of Sales with exit experience, raised from a different firm.

2 Comments

three_loops_later·1 points

"Loved the market, passed on the team" is the most actionable rejection you can get from a VC. It tells you exactly what to fix.

staff_at_startup_now·1 points

Benchmark passing on the team while loving the market means they think someone else will execute on this. Worth understanding what specifically gave them pause.