#121 VCs Adding Real Value to Founders

December 14, 2023

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In Case You Missed It: The Year-End CFO/Finance Checklists

We’ve seen a lot of different frameworks over the years to keep track of all the requirements for funds at year-end. One of our favorites is breaking things down into four buckets: portfolio companies, investor reporting, compliance/legal, and operations/HR. Here’s some of the top items in each bucket for year-end…

VCs talk a lot about “adding value.” In reality, many don’t! Earlier this week, Mario Gabriele at The Generalist shared that “We live in the age of the party round. As the tech ecosystem has grown and barriers to private investment have fallen, startups are accommodating increasingly crowded cap tables. Alongside name-brand funds sit an array of boutique firms, solo capitalists, and angels. Eight unicorn founders have shared their answer to this question: how do you optimize your investor relationships?” If you only have a few minutes to spare, here are eight highlights on how to optimize your investor relationships:

  1. Avlok Kohli: raise from investors that help address specific risks.

  2. David Hsu: experienced entrepreneurs can be invaluable investors. 

  3. Christina Cacioppo shares the “small things” that great angels do.

  4. Mathilde Collin outlines how to make a good specific ask from your cap table.

  5. Trae Stephens suggests treating “value add” investors with caution.  

  6. Immad Akhund warns against treating investors as authority figures. 

  7. Pedro Franceschi relies on investors’ experience to help solve novel problems.

  8. Jack Altman: backers need context on the business to offer impactful advice.

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