Getting into a startup competition? That's just the warm-up round. Not everyone makes it past that gate.

But here's where it gets real: landing in the top picks, judged by people who actually know what they're looking at. We're talking ape ventures, x ventures, base1 ventures, cicada—the kind of names that can spot potential before the crowd does.

These aren't random Twitter warriors playing VC. They're the ones writing checks, opening doors, and watching portfolios 24/7.

Every success story in this space? Started exactly like this. Small room. Big questions. Right people paying attention.

That's the difference between just launching and actually building something that sticks.