In this episode of The Backchannel, we're dropping a quick but essential take on balancing brilliance and likability and how both play into the fundraising game. We revisit a core concept from a past episode: time given – time to interest. If your brilliance gets investors hooked fast, you don’t need as much relationship-building. But if it takes longer to spark that interest, likability becomes your best tool for buying more time. We also talk about how being difficult, even if you’re brilliant, can close doors.