Don’t Send Your Pitch Deck First

The pitch deck is a crucial document for startup fundraising. Still, potential investors don’t need to see it attached to your first cold email or LinkedIn message.

VCs spend about four minutes looking at a pitch deck on average. Your company is worth more time than that! You want the chance to walk through the deck yourself, delivering the human touch and company story that complements the slides on screen.

I would send potential VCs a one-pager that succinctly told our company story and showed our proof of concept. It provided enough info to explain the company, without sharing all our cards from the start. Your closing line of an email can be, “I’d love to take you through the pitch deck when you have some time.”

Find a Partner that Genuinely Cares About You

Traditionally, many entrepreneurs think of an investor as their boss. It’s better to view investors as partners. You’re working together to achieve the same goals of sustainable business growth.

York IE was one of my early investors. They wrote their check on March 10, 2020 — right before the pandemic changed everything in the United States. The next few months were a difficult time for everyone. It was comforting to know that during those turbulent months, the York IE team was there to help me through challenges in both my personal and business life.

You’ve worked hard to build your company and prove your concept. Find an investor that you actually enjoy working with. Their guidance is often worth more than the check they write.

Take a Hike – Literally

This is the best piece of startup fundraising advice I can give. When things got overly stressful during fundraising, my favorite activity was venturing into the mountains of Colorado for a hike.

Finding investors can be exhausting. You’re constantly researching, emailing, hopping on Zoom calls or heading to coffee chats. Remember to save some time for yourself and your loved ones amidst the craziness.

You don’t want to wear yourself down or miss family events because you’re chasing an investor. You’ll find the right fit when it’s time.

Beginning the Startup Fundraising Process

You can read all the startup fundraising advice in the world, but you’ll never get where you need to be unless you take action.

Build a strategic list of potential investors, prepare your one-pager and start sending off some emails and messages. Fundraising is a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding when you find an investment partner that helps your company reach its goals.