Tim Parsa’s Post

As a Founder, are you STRUGGLING to get responses when you reach out to Investors? In a funding winter, capital is scarce and there are more Startups competing for capital. I get tons of pitches. Any investor with a bit of experience and reputation will be inundated. ~98% don’t make it past 'Hi Jed,'. It's brutal but true. I tell founders all the time that mass scale, automated, cold outreach doesn't work (the same applies to syndicate leads building their LP network). Here are a few simple rules to increase your pipeline of investor meetings: 1️⃣ Target the right investors. Research their portfolio. Understand their thesis (sector, stage, geo). Your company must align with this. Think sniper, not shotgun. Scalability is not something you apply to Investor outreach. 2️⃣ Craft a crisp 5 - 10 line message. 95-98% of messages fail because they're too long, filled with fluff or don't communicate a point. Investors have a 'language'. Be clear and concise. Back what you say with numbers. Drop the jargon and buzzwords. Make your message super sharp. Don't take 20 words to say something in 5. You'll easily 2x your chances of connecting with an investor for a 1st meeting. Want more specifics on outreach? Drop your comments below.

A venture capitalist told me last week that he doesn't respond to cold emails from founders because he's too busy and he considers cold founder emails to be the same as spam sales. I couldn't disagree more. When founders email a VC, they're giving the VC an opportunity to come in as a partner to their business that they've spent years of sweat, money and sacrifice building. This isn't an easy decision for a founder to bring in a partner. Most likely the founder spent time researching the VC and believed they were a good fit. For VCs, do you know that VCs only invest in 6% of fast growth companies and miss 94%? Guess what, a chunk of the 94% of fast growth companies are cold emailing you to see if they can send a deck. Those companies that you desperately need are probably in your inbox.

My mission has always been about lifting the underdog — the dreamers, the hustlers, and those daring enough to build something extraordinary against all odds. In the startup world, especially for SME business owners, it takes grit, resilience, and the courage to face countless uncertainties. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but those who push through reap rewards that go beyond profit. FACE is more than a business network; it’s a community that believes in everyone's chance to connect, grow, and succeed. I’m thrilled to introduce our FACE platform — a space where members come together, collaborate, and form real partnerships grounded in support and shared dreams. FACE could never go as far as it has without the founders who step up and say, "Poe, let me know how I can help." These founders aren’t just grinding their own journeys; they’re also looking out for each other, and that is my tribe. Our platform is exclusively for founders, investors, and CEOs who want to connect with others of the same mindset. We’re invite-only to ensure a community where each member’s passion and purpose drive the collective forward. If you’re a founder, investor, or CEO looking to join this dedicated network, reach out at info@kickoff-marketing.com, and let’s talk about how FACE can support your journey.

The best thing that can happen to a founder is to become a VC. Let me tell you 5 reasons why: - This is the only way to understand how VCs think and how they make decisions. - This is the fastest way to build a network among VCs because they try their best not to hang out with founders whenever they can. - This helps you get outside of your bubble and see how other founders build their companies. - This helps you to learn a lot about so many different markets and business models that you can't imagine - And listen - it could be a ton of fun, at least sometimes:) Oh, and we at Geek Ventures are looking for a new team member who was a founder before (what a lucky coincidence), so drop me a line if you want to apply. Or, if you want to learn more on this topic, feel free to reach out via the Intro link in the header of my profile😎

Hᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ Bᴜɪʟᴅ ᴀ Pʀᴇᴛᴛʏ Dᴀʀɴ Gᴏᴏᴅ Bᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ In a world where everyone glorifies startups with flashy co-founders and complex funding rounds, building a solid, fulfilling business doesn’t have to follow the same playbook. Here’s a roadmap for those who prefer simplicity, control, and doing work they love: 1️⃣ No Co-Founder: Solo founders have an edge—complete decision-making power and a single vision. No compromises, no conflicts. Data says solo founders can make decisions 3x faster than those with co-founders. 2️⃣ Love the Customer: Obsess over solving their problems. Businesses that prioritize customer-centricity see 60% higher profitability. 3️⃣ Grow a Community from Day 1: Whether it’s on Twitter, LinkedIn, or a private Slack channel, your community will be your first customers and advocates. Build it authentically. 4️⃣ Do Work That Feels Like Play: When you enjoy the process, the grind becomes growth. Passion breeds perseverance. 5️⃣ Control 95% of the Business: Ownership means freedom. Build equity for yourself, not just investors. Remember: every percent counts. 6️⃣ Build Something People Want: Steve Jobs was right—customer demand beats fancy ideas every time. Validate before you scale. 7️⃣ Leverage Systems and Automation: Work smarter, not harder. Automation can free up to 30% of your time—use it to focus on strategy and innovation. If you master these principles, you win. 🎯 Success becomes a natural byproduct of focus and consistency. 👉 What's one principle you'd add to this list? Let’s discuss in the comments! Follow Prashant kumar

Tons of founders press self-destruct in middle of their pitch. And most of them they don't even realise. Here's are 3 things that founders say often that turn a pitch sour fast. Founder: "BigCo will definitely buy us for $100m next year" What VCs hear: "We're going to sell out a the first chance" Founder: "We're using an agency to build the software" What VCs hear: "We're going to suffer from, slow unreliable and bad product development" Founder: "Our co-founder X will go full time in 18months" What VCs hear: "We're not even fully committed" I've written over 30k words on how to pitch investors effectively whci hhave been read by 1k+ founders. You can check out them out at pitchdoctor.app/newsletter

Do you know what the most important consideration is PRIOR to starting a business? Bootstrapping or venture-backed? I'm always curious as to how founders choose which route to take. I'm gobsmacked when I learn that there is little to no consideration. This blows my mind because the choice of which path to take significantly impacts the life of that business, including R&D, product market fit, sales strategies, and business operations, etc. Let's break down each path: Venture-Backed ✅ No personal guarantee risks ✅ Access to debt and/or equity ✅ External validation( an emotional job-to-be-done) ✅ Faster product-to-market ✅ Talent attraction ❌ Less control ❌ Pressure for Hockey Stick Growth ❌ You profit only when you exit ❌ Long-term time commitment ❌ High-risk of failure Bootstrapped ✅ Build it with YOUR vision ✅ No pressure to be magical ✅ Profit while participating ✅ Opportunity to exit at a high multiple ✅ Reduced risk of failure ❌ Higher financial risk ❌ Limited resources ❌ Less attractive to financial backers ❌ Slower growth ❌ Harder to attract talent While I love the bootstrapping-founded story and give props to those that get investors to fund their visions, it's essential for founders to fully contemplate what making this choice entails. Awareness helps you understand what you're getting into. --Michelene ------------------------------ PS: Do you want to grow through acquisition by closing higher quality deals faster and without competiton? I provide off-market “transaction ready” M&A targets delivered in 14-days for founders, corporate development executives, family offices, private equity, and search fund professionals. Let's chat.

90% of founders are chasing the wrong thing. They chase: - VC funding - A bigger team - Growth at all costs But they take us away from what we want. I would argue that we all crave: freedom. Freedom to: - Pivot - Do anything - Go anywhere - Speak your mind Instead, we chase: Non-aligned investors? Low freedom. A board? Low freedom. Too big? Low freedom. Can't post what you want on LinkedIn? Low freedom. If something, someone, or someplace reduces freedom, turn away. Founders: - Ditch the bullsh*t - Reject ridiculous valuations - Abandon growth-at-all-costs - Ignore hollow TechCrunch articles Instead, strive for optionality. For freedom. You won't regret it.

Pre-seed / Seed startup founders: We put together a list of 500 active VCs in early-stage founders. You can get it for free on our investor lists page, here: https://lnkd.in/d3Jek7KS Our lists are hand-checked by our team and include all you need to get started: Website. Location. Investment thesis/description. Preferred domains. Preferred stage. Linkedin company page. Contact email. ❤️ Comment on this post, if: 1. You want to introduce your VC to founders viewing this post. 2. You know someone who needs this list - tag their name in a comment. ❤️❤️ Help spread the word by giving this post a❤️ Like and resharing it. ❤️❤️❤️Get the list and subscribe to Meet.Capital’s excellent newsletter: https://lnkd.in/d3Jek7KS