One suggestion I’d make it to speak to angel investors first. It’s best to talk to the angel community first because these are the people who usually are less formal and are willing to give you more direct feedback (if you ask for it genuinely.) Also, a rejection from an angel is generally:
less embarrassing
more friendly and light-hearted
less loud, in terms of signaling
On the other hand, a rejection from a VC firm feels much more “real” and unfortunately can reverberate through the wider VC community.