Welcome to another installment of our "Build in Public" series, where we share the unfiltered truth about building GYST. Today's story: why the most successful people often have the best manners, and why gatekeepers are usually the worst part of any process.

One sold his company for $400 million. The other manages other people's money. Guess which one showed more respect?

75 minutes: That's how long it took Jeffrey Katzenberg, the man behind The Lion King, Shrek, among others, to personally respond to our pitch email.

30 days: That's how long it took a prominent European VC fund to ghost us completely before delivering dismissive feedback through a mutual friend.

Act One: The Ghosting Champions

Setting: A video call with a well-known European VC fund which we'll call "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named".

We were introduced through a friend who had worked with them previously. Good referral, legitimate connection. The kind of warm intro that's supposed to mean something.

The meeting had two associates. One was engaging and interested, asking thoughtful questions about our creator economy thesis. The other was... blasé. Going through the motions.

"Can you send us your pitch deck and financial model?" they asked.

Five minutes after the call ended, both documents were in their inbox.

Then... silence.

We followed up once. Nothing. We followed up again, copying the partner I knew from LinkedIn. Radio silence.

Day 20: We admitted defeat. We'd been ghosted.

We resorted to our friend who had made the introduction to find out what happened.

Day 30: Finally, feedback. Through our friend. Via text message.

Thirty days. To deliver a dismissive two-sentence rejection. Through an intermediary.

Act Two: The Legend's Grace

Setting: Cannes Lions Festival, just after a panel on "The Future of Technology and Creativity."

Jeffrey Katzenberg had just finished discussing innovation with Anjali Sud (CEO of Tubi), moderated by CNBC's Julia Boorstin. This is the man who oversaw The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King at Disney. Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Pretty Woman at Touchstone. Shrek at DreamWorks.

Billions in box office revenue. $400 million from selling his DreamWorks stake.

After the session, we approached him to say thank you for our own childhood memories and those that he helped us build with our children.

He was professional, friendly, genuinely interested. When we mentioned GYST and asked if we could send information to his team, he smiled:

"I am the team."

We exchanged emails and even took a selfie.

When we returned from France, we sent a brief email with our pitch deck attached.

75 minutes later:

"Thanks so much for reaching back out to me about this opportunity Rodrigo. Unfortunately this isn't the type of investment that WndrCo makes. Best jk"

Direct. Professional. Respectful. A clear no, delivered with class.

Act Three: The Character Revelation

This experience revealed something profound about success and human nature: The Inverse Relationship Between Success and Arrogance.

The pattern is universal: the more successful someone becomes, the more respectful they tend to be.

Katzenberg has nothing to prove. He's already built entertainment empires and generated billions in value. He doesn't need to flex on founders or play power games.

The VC associates? They're managing other people's money, haven't created significant wealth themselves, and seem to think their gatekeeper position makes them important.

True power whispers. Insecurity shouts.

Response Time as Character Test

Your response time isn't just about efficiency. It's a direct reflection of how you view other people's time and dignity.

Katzenberg's 75-minute response says: "I respect you enough to give you a quick, honest answer."

The fund's 30-day ghosting says: "You're not important enough for basic professional courtesy."

How you treat people when you don't need anything from them reveals everything.

This extends far beyond VC. Give someone a little power, and they'll often act like they have a lot of power.

VC associates, executive assistants, middle managers, the people with the least actual authority often wield what little power they have most poorly.

Meanwhile, the actual decision makers tend to be gracious, direct, and respectful. Real power doesn't need to prove itself.

The Unexpected Gift

The irony? That fund's rudeness was actually a gift. They showed us exactly who they are before we got into business together. We dodged a bullet.

Jeffrey Katzenberg showed us what grace looks like under pressure. Even in declining to invest, he demonstrated the professionalism we want to emulate.

Both experiences were educational. One was inspiring.

What This Means for Founders

This experience fundamentally changed how we evaluate potential partners: Red Flags vs Green Flags

If someone ghosts you during courtship, imagine how they'll treat you during a crisis. That fund's behavior while "wooing" us was unprofessional. If that's their best behavior, what happens when you miss a quarterly target?

Conversely, Katzenberg was approached by strangers at a busy festival. He had every reason to brush us off. Instead, he engaged personally and followed through professionally.

Character and conviction matter more than check size.

We've changed our approach entirely. We now only engage with VCs who truly understand and believe in the creator economy.

Not because we're picky (well, maybe we are), but because this experience taught us that how people treat you when they don't have to reveals who they really are.

The Compound Effect of Grace

Here's what Katzenberg probably doesn't realize: his 75-minute response created a lifetime advocate. We'll tell this story forever and recommend WndrCo to other founders.

Meanwhile, that fund's ghosting behavior will follow them. Every founder they've disrespected will share that experience.

Grace compounds. Rudeness compounds too.

Practical applications for founders reading this:

When evaluating investors:

Response time predicts partnership behavior

Look for grace under pressure - do they remain professional when declining?

Beware of dismissive gatekeepers

When building your own culture:

Respond quickly, even if declining - a fast no beats slow silence

Treat everyone with respect - you never know who might become important

Remember that small acts of kindness create disproportionate goodwill

The character test is simple: Watch how people treat others when they have leverage.

Building in Public: The Character Lesson

Every founder faces these character tests. You'll meet people who think their small power makes them big shots, and genuine legends who treat everyone with respect.

Learning to distinguish between them quickly will save you time, energy, and sanity.

More importantly, these interactions teach us how to behave when we achieve success ourselves. Will we be gracious and responsive, or dismissive and self-important?

Success is temporary. Character is permanent.

What's your experience with response times and character? Have you noticed the pattern between success and humility?

Building in public means sharing these character lessons alongside the business ones. Sometimes the most important education comes from how people treat you when they don't have to.