WEBVTT
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If you don't have an existing network in venture capital, or you are about to embark on fundraising for the first time, I would spend a bit of time upfront before kicking off your fundraise.
00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:24.289
What I would do is I would take some time to identify a network and build the network without the ask of fundraising.
00:00:24.649 --> 00:00:26.030
Just relationship build.
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Go on LinkedIn, find a first degree connection, a second degree connection.
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Reach out, ask for coffee.
00:00:32.262 --> 00:00:36.162
Say you're working on something, you're not actively fundraising, but you would love to speak with them.
00:00:36.402 --> 00:00:40.786
Venture capitalists will take your meeting because that's what they do; they're meeting with founders.
00:00:41.637 --> 00:00:45.837
It's almost better to have that first meeting be when you are not fundraising.
00:00:46.046 --> 00:00:53.436
So that way when you are going to them and saying,"Hey, I'm fundraising," you've actually built a little bit of a reputation with them.
00:00:54.332 --> 00:01:04.933
And this is kind of like, the"always be fundraising" mindset, which I think has mixed reviews on it, and I don't believe in it post-seed but definitely in pre-seed.
00:01:05.173 --> 00:01:13.442
I would meet with folks in venture all the time, even when I wasn't fundraising, just so that way they had updates and milestones about the business.
00:01:14.096 --> 00:01:21.417
And so that way when I did kick off fundraising, it wasn't like I was starting from scratch and I knew that, okay, I'm already comfortable and friendly with these people.
00:01:21.596 --> 00:01:26.906
I'm gonna reach out to them and we are gonna really talk about the business in a deeper level than we have have before.
00:01:27.206 --> 00:01:29.557
Versus, I'm gonna reach out to them.
00:01:29.617 --> 00:01:31.057
I'm gonna tell them who Neha is.
00:01:31.057 --> 00:01:32.557
I'm gonna tell them why I started Bonside.
00:01:32.557 --> 00:01:33.936
I'm gonna tell them all the milestones.
00:01:33.936 --> 00:01:37.057
I'm gonna be like, no, that really happened in a six month period of time.
00:01:37.552 --> 00:01:39.317
There's just a lot more work you have to do.
00:01:39.317 --> 00:01:41.748
And so I would say make it easier on yourself.
00:01:41.748 --> 00:01:46.457
Do a little bit of the work upfront so that way you can have a quicker process when you kick off fundraising.
00:01:46.727 --> 00:01:48.227
Cuz with fundraising, speed is everything.
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:15.640
If you don't have an existing network in venture capital, or you are about to embark on fundraising for the first time, I would spend a bit of time upfront before kicking off your fundraise.
00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:24.289
What I would do is I would take some time to identify a network and build the network without the ask of fundraising.
00:00:24.649 --> 00:00:26.030
Just relationship build.
00:00:26.780 --> 00:00:30.350
Go on LinkedIn, find a first degree connection, a second degree connection.
00:00:30.553 --> 00:00:31.612
Reach out, ask for coffee.
00:00:32.262 --> 00:00:36.162
Say you're working on something, you're not actively fundraising, but you would love to speak with them.
00:00:36.402 --> 00:00:40.786
Venture capitalists will take your meeting because that's what they do; they're meeting with founders.
00:00:41.637 --> 00:00:45.837
It's almost better to have that first meeting be when you are not fundraising.
00:00:46.046 --> 00:00:53.436
So that way when you are going to them and saying,"Hey, I'm fundraising," you've actually built a little bit of a reputation with them.
00:00:54.332 --> 00:01:04.933
And this is kind of like, the"always be fundraising" mindset, which I think has mixed reviews on it, and I don't believe in it post-seed but definitely in pre-seed.
00:01:05.173 --> 00:01:13.442
I would meet with folks in venture all the time, even when I wasn't fundraising, just so that way they had updates and milestones about the business.
00:01:14.096 --> 00:01:21.417
And so that way when I did kick off fundraising, it wasn't like I was starting from scratch and I knew that, okay, I'm already comfortable and friendly with these people.
00:01:21.596 --> 00:01:26.906
I'm gonna reach out to them and we are gonna really talk about the business in a deeper level than we have have before.
00:01:27.206 --> 00:01:29.557
Versus, I'm gonna reach out to them.
00:01:29.617 --> 00:01:31.057
I'm gonna tell them who Neha is.
00:01:31.057 --> 00:01:32.557
I'm gonna tell them why I started Bonside.
00:01:32.557 --> 00:01:33.936
I'm gonna tell them all the milestones.
00:01:33.936 --> 00:01:37.057
I'm gonna be like, no, that really happened in a six month period of time.
00:01:37.552 --> 00:01:39.317
There's just a lot more work you have to do.
00:01:39.317 --> 00:01:41.748
And so I would say make it easier on yourself.
00:01:41.748 --> 00:01:46.457
Do a little bit of the work upfront so that way you can have a quicker process when you kick off fundraising.
00:01:46.727 --> 00:01:48.227
Cuz with fundraising, speed is everything.
