If you ever feel alone in this...
In a nutshell, this is why the problem is so hard to fix:<p><pre><code>  > When I was raising my first round, it fell apart because 
  > an A-list investor who had given us a verbal commitment 
  > backed out. He did this because he had heard from his 
  > friend, who I had went out for beers with, said that we 
  > were struggling and unsure of what we were doing. I don't 
  > blame the investor for backing out and I don't blame his 
  > friend for relating his honest opinion he took away from 
  > our conversation. But I will tell you that I now never 
  > share my struggles with anybody I think might be even 
  > remotely close to affecting my future opportunities. And 
  > in San Francisco, that pretty much means everybody.
</code></pre>
It's not a problem of attitude, or perspective.  It's that investors and potential hires and partners really want to make the best choices for themselves, and that means working with companies that are doing great and founders who are driven and aren't going to flame out or give up, which is perfectly understandable.<p>And so founders who want to have the best chances at "winning" have to create an aura of momentum, of inevitable success, around themselves and their companies.  That's perfectly understandable too.<p>How would you even fix that?  How do you even define the problem you're trying to fix?