Founder credibility really matters in this space, and it's becoming impossible to ignore. When a project founder has burned bridges with half the community, participation in their fundraising round gets drastically impacted.

The contrast is striking—early on, community members faced heavy criticism for raising concerns about the project. Fast forward to now, and that same project is struggling through a sale with only $400k raised so far, which falls drastically short of their original 3X target. It's a clear signal that damaged relationships and communication breakdowns directly translate into fundraising headwinds.

This scenario highlights why transparency and community trust are non-negotiable assets for any founder launching a token sale or capital raise. Short-term decisions that alienate supporters often come with long-term consequences that show up in deal metrics.