Episode 20 — Bureaucracy, Bandwidth, and the Energy You Can’t Afford to Waste

In this milestone 20th episode of Time, Fuel, and Money, Deborah, Karim, and Vassili tackle the invisible forces that slow us down: bureaucracy, broken communication, and misaligned expectations.

What starts as a conversation about investor-founder dynamics expands into something deeper: how we manage our time, emotional bandwidth, and trust in a system that often feels stacked against momentum.

Karim opens up about the frustration of being strung along by VCs, while Deborah reflects on the post-exit dynamics founders rarely talk about—when you’re more useful as a fundraising figurehead than a thought partner. Vassili reframes bureaucracy not as a necessary evil, but as a system that, when understood, can channel energy instead of draining it.

This episode offers hard-won advice for founders and funders alike on navigating slow decisions, maintaining relationships without losing yourself, and knowing when to let go.

🧠 Topics we explore:

• Why clarity is kinder than false hope in fundraising
• How bureaucracy can both protect and paralyze
• The emotional tax of being kept on hold—and how to shift focus
• Tactical follow-up vs. aggressive persistence
• Why AI might help manage process, but not replace trust
• The difference between forced traction and organic connection

Whether you’re pitching, funding, or stuck somewhere in between—this episode reminds you to protect your energy and play the long game.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.