Female VC to Women Entrepreneurs: Here's How to Answer If an Investor Asks About Children

Wright's advice for her fellow VCs is simple: Cut it out."Consider how offensive the question might be perceived and stop asking it," she says. And if you can't quit this retrograde habit cold turkey, she says,"then ask both the male and the female entrepreneurs. Aside from the obvious short-term time off, there should not be a difference."

Her advice for women entrepreneurs, however, is more detailed and consists of five solid pointers. If you're fundraising, the complete post is well worth a read, but here's the essence of Wright's advice: First, realize that not every conversation in which family comes up is about sniffing out your dedication to your startup. Sometimes, investors genuinely want to get to know you.

"I sometimes ask questions to try to better understand entrepreneurs on a human-to-human level. I often ask about passions outside of work. Sometimes, this leads to interesting places and often leads to discussions about family. I am simply trying to see what makes a person tick for insight into values and motivations," Wright notes. "Have several planned responses ready and practice them. Why two or three? Because, in the moment, you have to choose your best response.

"You can ask them why they are asking. You can ask them if they are married, have children, or plan on having children. Sometimes, the most effective strategy is to turn the tables. It also affords you an opportunity to find common ground," says Wright. If an investor presses on, Wright counsels candor:"If you already have kids, you can relate how you currently manage the load. If you have a support system, talk about that.

"I recommend finishing the meeting and giving yourself time to reflect. If you get to the next stage of diligence, speak to multiple portfolio company CEOs to ask about their interactions in good times and bad. And, before you agree to take the VC's money, have the talk. Ask why they felt that was an important question.

I think i'm the only one that don't care about this question, and I even ask thinks like that all the time no matter if they are man or woman.

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