Start-up funders tend to ask men about how they will promote success and women about how they will prevent failure, contributing to the gender gap in funding allocation.  Replying to prevention-focused questions with promotion-focused answers can help founders counter biased motivational questions.

Investors preferred pitches presented by male entrepreneurs compared to pitches made by female entrepreneurs, even when the content of the pitch is the same. Attractive men were particularly persuasive, whereas physical attractiveness did not matter among female entrepreneurs.