Asked by Austin Rory Hackett
Networking is the core focus of most VCs, which typically leads to an uncontrollable inbox. If you read the testimonials on SaneBox, my favorite email management solutions, half of them come from VCs. I am constantly behind on email and hate responding late, but it's humanly impossible to support our portfolio companies and reach inbox zero on a daily basis. As a result, I actually encourage entrepreneurs to ping me a few times if I am slow to respond. If a VC clearly passes on your investment, trying to re-engage them through multiple follow up emails is likely not worth your time. Even if they have not formally passed, if they do not respond after reaching out on email multiple times, it's likely a sign that they are not prioritizing your company, so it is not worth you focusing on them as a funding source. If you are attempting to make initial contact with a VC, the key is to do so via a referral. Most funds see over 1,000 investment opportunities per year. As a result, they need to set some level of filter to help identify the most promising opportunities. On our website, we encourage entrepreneurs to contact us via a mutual contact before sending a blind email. The thinking from most VCs is that if you cannot connect with us via a quality referral, how will you be able to do so with potential clients? If you are able to come in through multiple sources, it's all the better. Gaining acceptance into a high quality accelerator like the Brandery is an even higher quality filter for potential investors, many of which have already volunteered to help companies participating based on them meeting the program's requirements for selection.