Af: David Ventzel
www.davidventzel.com
I made a huge mistake. And I want you to learn from it. When I was a founder, I thought VC money was the same. Because of this delusion, I didn’t care who the investor was.
So I approached all investors in the same way. I showed off and hoped the VC would throw a term sheet. It was a show on my part. I thought I did good. I was mistaken. In fact, I did terrible.
My pitch was good. But I forgot the most important part of the meeting. To learn who I was talking to. Why does it matter? Because the VC demands your time and attention. And that’s your most valuable asset.You want the time and attention he demands to be beneficial for you. And that’s a function of three things:
- The experience of the firm
- His personal experience
- His view of your startup.
I didn’t know. So I didn’t ask. You shouldn’t make the same mistake. So here is a list of questions I wish someone had given me:
Essential questions about his firm
How many funds have you managed?
- Because experience is important. First funds tend to give bad returns.
Who are the Limited Partners of the fund?
- Because in the end, the investor serves the interests of the Limited Partners.
How big is the fund?
- Because fund size determines how little and how much they can invest. And how much follow-up funding they can provide in the future.
When did the active investment period start and when does it end?
- Because the lifespan of the fund determines the urgency to invest and to exit again.
How is the management of the fund structured and how do you make decisions?
- Because it matters greatly how decisions are being made and who have decision power.
What is your investment thesis?
- Because a clear thesis is an indicator of professional intellect. In other words, they know what they are doing.
What are the limitations of your investments?
- Because it’s nice to know if the investment can be turned down because of technicalities.
Which companies in the portfolio have given you learnings and expertise to help us?
- Because expertise matters. And real expertise comes from experience.
How do you do due diligence?
- Because due diligence can be very long and costly. And you will pay.
Essential questions about the investment manager (the one to join your board)
What is your thesis about startup success?
- Because a clear thesis is an indicator of professional intellect.
Which other companies in the portfolio are you managing?
- Because he gets most of his learning and network through his own portfolio.
How do you approach the role of being board member?
- Because you want to know if his style is compatible.
How can you add value to our company?
- Because the answer reveals if he fundamentally sees himself as a controlling mechanism or someone who is there to help build the business.
How are you incentivized?
- Because he will focus on what makes him rich.
Essential questions about his/their view of your startup
What do you think are main opportunities of the business?
- Because the answer reveals if he has valid growth thesis.
What do you see as the main risks of the business and how would you mitigate those risks?
- Because the answer reveal if he has experience with your type of business model.
What do you see as the main priorities the next 6 months?
- Because the answer reveal if he is aligned on the short-term strategy.
How do you see the exit path of the company?
- Because VCs are driven by exits and you want to know if they are aligned on the long-term strategy.
If you ask these question, you will get a conversation instead of an interview. It will be a conversation with between parties evaluating each other. And most investors will respect you for this.Good luck in your next meeting.
