Ever lied on your résumé or to an investor? Vani Kola has called your bluff

Ever bluffed on your résumé or tried to conceal the real situation to do better in your career? You aren't alone, and Vani Kola has called your bluff.

The Kalaari Capital MD said that she has seen ambitious entrepreneurs bluff a lot, especially when it comes to growth, sales, investor interest, expected valuation, performance or prospects. "All of us bluff one way or another. We all want to believe that the hand we're dealt is stronger than it is," she wrote on Twitter.



Kola said that it is okay to bluff, as long as one can handle the situation if caught.

Sharing the rule of thumb, she emphasised, "Never play a bluff if you can't afford to lose." She took to the micro-blogging site on Friday to share a list of dos and don'ts.

• You don't need to be a poker player to play the bluff
• Study your audience and prepare for worst. If they know better than you, you're most likely to be called out on your bluff
• Count your chips. You can't play the chips you don't have at the poker table. Similarly, in business, you can't spend money you don't have. Ensure you have enough moolah when you're bluffing
• Know the right opportunity to bluff. Sometimes, you can get a desirable outcome without bluffing

The 57-year-old venture capitalist said that bluffing is a high-risk strategy game, and the only way to survive it is by not getting addicted like a gambler.

The investor-entrepreneur said that sometimes bluffing may be necessary, but it is crucial to 'make sure that's the only way to play the game'.

Citing an example, she said, "as the leader of a struggling business, you might need to bluff a little to uphold the confidence of your teams about the prospects of your business."