Building Trust and Assessing Integrity as You Interview | Andreessen Horowitz

Trust, as I discussed in the Louverture chapter, is the foundation of communication. Simply saying something you feel more or less comfortable terming “the truth” doesn’t build trust. What builds trust is the bona fide truth being heard.

Unspoken Question #3. “Do I trust you?” This is a gut thing. Investors are taking a large risk with you, as the number of startups that produce a significant ROI is small. So they need to feel like they can trust you to do whatever you say you will to the best of your ability. That means you must be honest and truthful in your pitch.

trust is not built by pressure or force, trust is built by acting in a way consistent with one’s values, especially when it’s least expected. Trust is built when we do the right thing, especially when we aren’t forced to.

Most relationships are bound by trust. Trust is habitual reciprocity that becomes coated by emotion. It grows when two people begin volleys of communication and cooperation and slowly learn they can rely upon each other. Soon members of a trusting relationship become willing to not only cooperate with each other but sacrifice for each other. Trust