Venture capitalists are notorious for leaving supplicants dangling: they rarely turn down an investment opportunity outright, lest the startup suddenly catch fire, or attract the attention of an alpha partnership such as Sequoia. Just say no, Rick Segal advises fellow investors. It's the kind thing to do. Much as we'd love to bash venture capitalists, the delicate entrepreneurial ego is as much to blame. A struggling entrepreneur is much like a cancer patient — suspecting the diagnosis is grim, but reluctant to ask the doctor outright, for fear the news be bad. And maybe they're right, to hold on to any strand of hope.