VC Minute

Quick advice to help startup founders fundraise better. Founders, do you feel like you're fundraising on an uneven playing field? You are. The VC minute is here to help you level up. Venture capitalists navigate pitches and negotiate investments every day. They know the ins and outs and are up-to-date on the current funding environment. But as a founder, it may be your first foray into fundraising, and no matter how much success you've had in other areas nothing truly prepares you for the fundraising journey. The VC Minute was created to help founders close this gap. While it may seem like securing an investment at the seed stage is mostly driven by luck, there are steps founders can take to increase the odds of successfully raising a round. And that's what we're going to cover on the VC Minute through a series of short episodes. I'm going to share with you insights to help navigate the seed stage financing dynamics. I'm Rich Maloy, Managing Partner at SpringTime Ventures with 25 years business experience a dozen years in the startup ecosystem. I've applied my experience from sales, finance, and venture investing, to help startup founders fundraise better.

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VC Minute

177. Follow Up on DocSend Opens

February 09, 2024 • Rich Maloy • Season 4 • Episode 177

0:00 | 2:10

Text your thoughts directly to Rich.

Maybe a founder could explain to me why you would not follow up with investors that opened your deck on DocSend?

About AVL Growth Partners
AVL Growth Partners, founded in 2009, is the leading fractional Finance and Accounting firm supporting organizations in pivoting from growth to scale. AVL brings an experienced team of CFOs, Controllers, and Accountants to your organization, delivering transparent, strategic actions for short and long-term success. Transform your financial approach affordably with AVL, supporting companies coast to coast - get to know AVL Growth Partners at avlgrowth.com. (Sponsored)

About SpringTime Ventures
SpringTime Ventures seeds high-growth startups in healthcare, fintech & insurtech, and logistics & supply chain. We look for founders with domain expertise, forging a path with a truly transformative technology. We only invest in software-based businesses in the USA. We bring a people-focused approach, work quickly, and reach conviction independently. Our initial check size is $600k. You can learn more about us and our approach.

Rich 0:00

On a slow week here, I may open a dozen pitch decks in DocSend. Nearly every single one of those decks are sent to me from other investors. Seed investors are always sending decks around. You know this; you want this. Many of those DocSend decks asked me to put in my email address and I always do. And you'll never believe what happened. One time, a founder emailed me later in the day to introduce himself and offer to meet. The email said, "Hey, rich, I saw you opened our pitch deck. What did you think? I'd love to share more with you. Here's my calendar link if you want to find time." And do you know what I did? I took that meeting. And do you know why. Because he was the only founder ever that sent a follow-up email after I entered my email to access his deck. Maybe a founder can explain to me why you would not send a followup email. I just don't understand it. Or maybe it's me. Maybe they see Rich at SpringTime Ventures and think, that's not a good one. Let's just ignore him." From a founder perspective, I think it makes a ton of sense to use DocSend and I would absolutely follow up with every investor that opened my deck. Who knows maybe one will actually take a meeting with you. As my grandma always said, you never know, unless you ask. Before we wrap up, let's delve into what sets AVL Growth Partners apart. AVL starts with a comprehensive business evaluation, uncovering opportunities and mapping actions to both your short and longterm goals. Their evaluations are crafted from over a decade of experience pivoting companies from growth to scale. Why go fractional? Picture this: a CFO with an average of 19 years of senior finance CFO experience, alongside controllers and accountants with 15 years under their belts. This isn't just bookkeeping. It's the expertise your company needs to navigate economic challenges. If you want to take your company to the next level and need the experience required to make it happen. Visit AVL growth.com right now.

Rich Maloy

Host