Raising
Target lists and intros
Rank 40–80 names before you take meetings, and make every intro warm and forwardable.
Build a list before you take meetings. Aim for 40–80 names at seed (mix of funds and angels), ranked. Founders who "keep it in their head" lose weeks. Warm intros are a one-shot social resource with many partners — spend them on the right names.
The big idea
| Tier | Who | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ideal leads: stage-fit, thesis-fit, reputation you want | Partner meeting + term sheet |
| B | Strong followers / angels who move fast | Fill after a lead; early social proof |
| C | Stretch or opportunistic | Only if A/B capacity opens |
Research: fund stage (pre-seed vs Series A), check size, ownership targets (seed funds often want ~7–15%+; see how venture capital works), sector focus, and recent investments that look like yours (complement, not direct conflict).
Warm intros beat cold email. Best intro: a founder the investor already backed who likes you. Next: an angel or operator they respect. Worst: mass cold LinkedIn. When you ask for an intro, send a forwardable blurb — three sentences on what you do, traction, and the ask — so your champion does not have to write it.
Track the pipeline like a CRM: name, firm, intro path, stage (requested / met / partner / diligence / term sheet / closed / passed), next step, date.
Walking through a blurb
You ask a YC founder to intro you to a seed partner. The email they can forward:
[Company] helps mid-market retailers cut stockouts with a 4-week
integration. $80k MRR, 120% NRR, raising a $3M seed. Would value
20 minutes with [Partner] given their work with [similar company].Three sentences. Traction. Ask. The champion hits forward; they do not have to invent a pitch.
Common mistakes
- Cold-spraying LinkedIn while sitting on unused founder intros.
- No CRM. You will forget who is in diligence vs who passed last Tuesday.
- Asking for an intro without a forwardable blurb. Your champion now has homework.
Check yourself
You have one intro from a founder the partner already backed, and 40 cold emails. Which do you spend first, and why?
The warm founder intro. It is a one-shot social resource; cold email is not.
What belongs in a forwardable blurb?
What you do, a traction number, and the ask — short enough to forward unchanged.
Key takeaways
- Rank 40–80 names into A/B/C before meetings start.
- Prioritize stage fit, thesis fit and warm intros over spray.
- Send a three-sentence forwardable blurb with every intro ask.
- Track the pipeline like a CRM: next step and date on every row.
Further learning
Next, compressing those meetings: batching a fundraise.