Top venture capitalist Ben Horowitz once shared a classic founder evaluation criterion: truly great companies often come from founders who possess top-tier capabilities in a core area.

His core point is straightforward—outstanding performance in one aspect can outweigh all other shortcomings. In other words, do not dismiss a truly world-class talent in a key field because of a weakness elsewhere. This sounds simple, but it is often overlooked in actual investment decisions.

Conversely, this also means that investing in a person who is mediocre in all aspects is fundamentally a mistake. Founders lacking any world-class competitiveness are hardly worth betting on. This logic has guiding significance for evaluating startup teams, investment decisions, and even the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem.