Types of Hair on Early Stage Deals

In the parlance of investors there is an oft-expressed and colorful turn-of-phrase, namely, "hair on the deal", that immediately signals the kiss of death for a company's investment prospects. There are of course grammatical and regional variations on this expression but the implication and import are always one and the same: that the company in question will not get funded. Among investors discussing a deal, the mere whiff of this hirsute quality will often suffice to end a discussion of the company's merits and shortcomings. In this post, however, I intend to delve into exactly what the range of characteristics exhibited by a company and/or its founders are that embody this dreaded state of 'hairiness'.