Be careful whose advice you buy. But always wear sunscreen.

I was invited to help with the pitch prep for a dozen startups in one the leading entrepreneurial networks. And I gave a lot of advice.

The actual pitches were delivered to a large group of investors in Sn Francisco. Some pitches had changed completely based on the feedback; others not at all.

I left the event humbled, and reflective.

As Pulitzer price winning journalist Mary Schmich wrote in her hypothetical commencement address titled "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young":

"Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth."

And so it is with investors and with founders: Be careful what advice you give, and be careful whose advice to apply.

There is, however, one piece of advice that is immutable: "But trust me on the sunscreen" 😎

This post was first published on LinkedIn in August 2025.