Stay out of that spam folder
If you are worried your emails are going to spam, try mail-tester dot com.
If you are worried your emails are going to spam, try mail-tester dot com.
Shared because a friend had precisely this problem and scored 3.5/10. Now they know how to solve the problem.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Too difficult to DD
Here's a recent reason I passed on an investment opportunity:
Here's a recent reason I passed on an investment opportunity:
"The main reason is that this is hard for me to DD. I have all the information you shared but I'd need to independently verify the state of technology in this space, how big a pain point you solve, and how easy it will be to bring to market. I can't justify the time spent on that without a higher confidence level up front."
Sometimes I'm interested in what you're doing but I have to be brutal to manage my own time.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 9 Jan 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared that it is reasonable for ambitious founders to manage their burn more conservatively because of the funding environment.
Had a site meeting for our house build with Infinity Construction and DLM Architects Ltd.
Spoke with Julien Barbieux of 2nd Brain VC.
Missed lunch break meditation at Guille-Allès Library.
Had coffee with my parents.
Spoke briefly with Bobby Phillips of Virtus Financial Planning.
Was pitched by a founder, realised halfway through the call that there may be a conflict, told the founder, stopped the call, and they are thinking about it.
#LaterI
Will be spending the evening with my family and fish and chips.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Survive to win
Every founder is paying more attention to cash burn and time to profitability. It doesn't mean they are any less ambitious.
Every founder is paying more attention to cash burn and time to profitability. It doesn't mean they are any less ambitious.
There's less money out there for funding. This is a rational response because if you don't hit the ambitious growth targets, the money is less likely to be there.
If you don't survive, you can't win.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Pitch and newsletter links at unbundled dot vc.
Evening update - 8 Jan 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Had Pilates with Joey Freeman.
Shared what you need for a tarpit breaker.
Was pitched by John McCoy of ProprHome.
Spoke with the SeedLegals team on the fundraising landscape.
Shared why MVPs are important.
Had a call with Richard Hadler of Odin.
Was pitched by Peter Monteza of MyARC.
Had my hair cut by James Bransford.
Was pitched by 🚀 Manish Patel of Jiva.ai.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
#LaterI
Will watch my son in a table tennis tournament.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Why MVP
You believe you've found a pain point people will pay you to solve. You want to find out if they really will in the shortest time and at the lowest cost possible.
You believe you've found a pain point people will pay you to solve. You want to find out if they really will in the shortest time and at the lowest cost possible.
This is why you build a Minimum Viable Product.
Do the smallest thing that proves or disproves your hypothesis. Nothing else matters.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Tarpit breakers
For a tarpit breaker, look for a founder who knows exactly why every other business that tried to do this failed and whose reasons why they will succeed make sense given that context.
Multiple companies with similar ideas but no outstanding successes can mean the area is a tarpit.
Why? It can be everyone likes the idea but there are significant reasons why it won't work that you're not aware of.
If there weren't, someone would have done it by now.
For a tarpit breaker, look for a founder who knows exactly why every other business that tried to do this failed and whose reasons why they will succeed make sense given that context.
These are great businesses that many people will miss because they assume it can't be done.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Unbunggled vc
Your weekly reminder that unbundled vc invests in early-stage digital tech and you can find all my pitch links at unbundled dot vc.
Your weekly reminder that unbundled vc invests in early-stage digital tech and you can find all my pitch links at unbundled dot vc.
Don't be shy.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Edit: with minimal bunggling.
Evening update - 5 Jan 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared that you should always talk about pre-money valuations not percentages.
Had Pilates with Joey Freeman.
Had coffee with Tom Hollis of Tupelo.
Was pitched by Greg Freeman of Data Literacy Academy.
Attended a Guernsey Cambridge Society committee meeting.
Was pitched by Cara Bucciferro of Legal Graffiti Inc.
Was pitched by founders who wish to remain anonymous.
Was pitched by Ian Oliveira and Murilo Costa of Twiggy.
Dargons’ Den
Founders, don't say "I am raising this amount of money for this percentage of my business". It makes it sound like you've spent too much time watching Dragons' Den.
Founders, don't say "I am raising this amount of money for this percentage of my business". It makes it sound like you've spent too much time watching Dragons' Den.
Always go with "at this pre-money valuation."
Evening update - 4 Jan 23
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared my terror when someone pivots on my advice.
Spent time on my fundraising strategy.
Was called a visionary 🤣 in a highly targeted LinkedIn inbound.
Met my parents and Dylan Cohen for lunch.
Had a quick call with Aarish Shah of EmergeOne.
Had my Important Not Urgent day.
#NowI
Am meeting Darren Vogel for coffee.
Oh hi LinkedIn inbound
I hope this message finds you well. My name is XXX, and I am reaching out to you because of your esteemed reputation as an experienced and visionary investor.
Oh hi LinkedIn inbound!
"I hope this message finds you well. My name is XXX, and I am reaching out to you because of your esteemed reputation as an experienced and visionary investor.
I am excited to present to you a unique investment opportunity that aligns perfectly with your interests and expertise."
Forgive me if I don't reply.
I took your advice and pivoted
This terrifies me. Every single time.
"I took your advice and pivoted."
This terrifies me. Every single time.
I give hundreds of pieces of feedback every year. Every now and again a founder comes back and tells me this.
Now I feel responsible.
Evening update - 3 Jan 24
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared that I need to be tighter with my diary.
Reviewed 7 video pitches, passed 5 with feedback and scheduled 2 calls.
Had 2 inbound pitch with leads (book straight into my diary if you have a credible lead).
Reminded founders, VCs and investors that Landscape is critical.
Worked on my next article for Business Brief, First Principles Hiring. Deadline Friday.
Have 9 startups in flight with calls scheduled or to be scheduled. Unusually, 7 are Seed and 2 are Pre-seed.
#LaterI
and my parents, who arrived in Guernsey today, are going to watch my son play table tennis.
Please share any questions you'd like me to answer in future posts in the comments.
Landscape reminder
Founders, your regular reminder that Landscape anonymous founders slack channel is where you need to be for unfiltered feedback on VCs.
Founders, your regular reminder that Landscape anonymous founders slack channel is where you need to be for unfiltered feedback on VCs.
VCs, you need to know what your reputation is there. It heavily affects your deal flow.
LPs/VC investors, you need to know a fund's reputation there before you invest because it heavily affects its deal flow and ability to get into competitive deals.
Pitch and newsletter links at unbundled dot com.
Please share any questions you'd like me to answer in future posts in the comments.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Meeting discipline
I need to manage my time more effectively. This year, I will be more disciplined in taking meetings.
I need to manage my time more effectively. This year, I will be more disciplined in taking meetings.
Please don't be afraid to ask, just don't be offended by a no!
Please share any questions you'd like me to answer in future posts in the comments.
#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic
Evening update - 2 Jan 24
Today I…
#TodayI
Shared I am back and ready to invest.
Had an impromptu call with @nickdavisio of @alto_ski.
Reviewed 6 video pitches, passed 5 with feedback and have asked 1 for a pitch call. A factor in the one I would like to meet is I have a network that can validate if the pain point it solves is real.
Have a backlog of another 7 or 8 pitches to review. Scheduled two pitch calls with founders who I've previously met. Because of this I know they meet my founder + business bar for a call. This isn't a warm intro thing.
'm finally recording how much of my deal flow is from female and black founders. I've been good at investing in female founders. Black founders, less so.
Started on my admin backlog.
Please share any questions you'd like me to answer in future posts in the comments.
Funding secured
Yesterday I found out that an introduction between a VC and one of my companies that was raising led to them leading their round which has now closed.
#YesterdayI
Found out that an introduction between a VC and one of my companies that was raising led to them leading their round which has now closed.
A lovely way to end the year.
Late update -15 December 23
Yesterday I…
#YesterdayI
Shared it was my last full day of the year and thanked founders for all their support.
Did some more admin.
Had an impromptu coffee with MATHEW GULLY of miles per gallon marketing .
Had a postponed founder catchup.
Had coffee with Viviane Kemgne, ACCA and Niall Hollingworth of Trainerfy.
#NowI
Will turn on my out-of-office.
