“ Meetings would go phenomenally well.

VCs would get excited, and many even commit to term sheets.

Then, mysteriously, they’d back away. ”

I am but a lowly code slinging peasant, but my dad raised some serious cash in his day. I’ve heard this exact story more times than I can count.

The inflection however wasn’t conspiratorial; it’s that your idea / meeting / pitch was strong but not strong enough in the end, and a soft unspoken “no” helps maintain relationships (its a small world!)