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> "Furthermore, investor styles differ. Some give you tons of room to maneuver; some like to work closely with you. Some offer tons of help and advice; others
by amirmc 15y ago
> "Furthermore, investor styles differ. Some give you tons of room to maneuver; some like to work closely with you. Some offer tons of help and advice; others are just about the cash. Some will want regular updates; others don’t like to be bothered ... figure out what kind of investors you want, and what kind of investors will want you."
Obviously that sounds like a great thing to consider but how exactly does a new entrepreneur figure that out? It might be possible if you're after the Fred Wilson's and Mark Suster's of the VC world (just read their stuff) but it wouldn't be as easy for many others. How would you suggest someone begins?
- soonisnow 15y agoClearly not every investor is as explicit, prolific (nor as insightful!) as Wilson or Suster, but many, even the most modest-sized and earliest-stage investors, have posted something specific about what attributes in teams they look for and what broad or micro themes they focus on; many have a "Portfolio" page which can yield lots of useful information on the companies they've already chosen to support, and why. Finally, believe it or not, CrunchBase is a solid way to connect the dots - if you think XYZ or ABC investors would be a great strategic fit based on their portfolio co's, go and see who _else has invested in them, since they're likely to care about a lot of the same dynamics. A tiny bit of homework goes a long way in getting an investor to return your email, and in getting someone to feel confident in making that initial intro..