This would be the easy way. Another way - harder, but with more chance to succeed after funding, not at it - is following Steve Martin's famous advice "be so go

This would be the easy way. Another way - harder, but with more chance to succeed after funding, not at it - is following Steve Martin's famous advice "be so good that they can't ignore you". I don't know much, but i have the impression that was what WhatsApp did. For what I know, it was Sequoia that went to them, not the other way around. Sequoia is a top VC not because they sit on their throne waiting for the vassals be referred to them. They work their ass to have the chance to back the really good startups. Something similar with what Sam Altman is doing more now at YC - actively pursuing good companies to sell them the benefits of being at YC. This is not binary (as in "bad companis pitch, good companies are pitched"), but it shows that there is another and eficient way. Even if rarer and harder.