147. Warm Intros Only feat. Abby Mercado @ Rescripted

My next piece of advice is to always get a warm intro to an investor. Don't send cold emails. It is just a big fat waste of time. And we all know that as a founder, time is of the essence. You don't have time. It is a time game. Do whatever you need to do to go to the very depth of your network and get that warm introduction. I will say you should always be networking. This is something that doesn't come naturally to everyone, but if you know that you might be raising money in the next six months or so, get out there. You need to be in the ecosystem where you are based. Go to the events, go to the dinners, go to the breakfast. Founders can often be your best intros. They certainly have been for me. Another thing I see founders and CEOs mess up all the time is what a forwardable email is. A forwardable email can be absolute magic, and if you learn how to write a great one that will position you better for the introduction that you wanna get. You've gotta personalize your email. If you want an introduction to Rich you should know that he has a podcast called VC Minute. You should know that he likes to time block his time and he likes to GSD on Wednesdays. And those are the things that you need to know about Rich. It's out in the open. So bring that up in your forwardable email to him. Listen to the podcast. Read the pieces. In this 2023 investing environment a lot of VC investors are trying to get into these hot deals. it's a competitive market for them too. And they're trying to make personalities out of themselves too. This is really important for them to just make sure that they're known in the ecosystem. Also check out their investments. What are they like to invest in? do they invest in women's health? Do they invest exclusively in B2B SaaS? Are you even applicable to them? Don't waste your time if you know you're not applicable to them. Again, time is of the essence. When you get farther down the road, make sure you're doing diligence with other founders. This investor might not be a cultural fit, which is so important. The relationship with your investor group is likened to your relationship with your co-founders. You need to make sure that this is a right fit, that is absolutely critical. They can make your life miserable or they can make your life really great and your business really go on a rocket ship. So make sure you check with other founders. Investors love saying that they can add value but founders can actually prove that they add value.