Vendors see a funding announcement and start circling within days. They know you have budget, a mandate to move fast, and a board expecting results. That combination is exactly what they're designed to exploit.
So they come with enterprise packages that look like they solve everything. Comprehensive platforms. Bundled features. Long-term contracts with capital discounts if you commit now. The pitch is seamless because they've made it a thousand times to companies exactly like yours.
You take the deal because you have the budget, it's simpler than a proper evaluation, and the discount makes it look like a win.
Six months later, you're locked into a vendor for 3-4 years — and every architecture decision you make is constrained by a contract you signed when you were too busy to read it carefully.
The worst outcome isn't lock-in. It's burning the round getting infrastructure wrong and having nothing left for the actual business.

