If it is true that...

Good investors don't lead startups on; their reputations are too valuable

and

Associates at VC firms regularly cold email startups, but an associate is not a VC and they have no decision-making power

Then it must be true that...

Avoid casual conversations with potential acquirers unless you want to sell your company right now

If it is true that...

Avoid casual conversations with potential acquirers unless you want to sell your company right now

and

Some founders deliberately schedule a handful of lame investors first, to get the bugs out of their pitch

and

An investor who's seriously interested will already be working to help you even before they've committed

Then it must be true that...

Investors are more alarmed by evasiveness than full disclosure