“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs


Investors increasingly expect startups to build responsibility into product design, not retrofit it later. Below are typical questions you may receive, and being able to answer them early (even if outlining intent) can build trust.

🔽 Product impact and unintended consequences

Investors want to know if you’ve thought through both positive and negative ripple effects of your product.


🔽 Transparency, user trust, and ethics

Trust, transparency, and ethical principles are increasingly seen as competitive advantages.


🔽 AI-specific and dual-use considerations

With AI, explainability, unintended use, and control become critical.


🔽 Governance and ongoing oversight

Good intentions today aren’t enough, investors want to see processes that evolve with scale.


🔽 Inclusivity, accessibility, and fairness