In startup investments, due diligence should shift from validating past performance to stress-testing assumptions and business fundamentals. Investors can identify red flags by closely examining the unit economics, customer traction, and scalability of the business model, rather than relying on top-line growth alone.
Particular attention should be given to quality of revenue (e.g., repeat vs one-off customers), dependency on key founders or clients, burn rate and funding runway, and realism of financial projections.