Closing the deal isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of a long relationship.Follow-up involves protecting your investment, supporting founders, and keep-ing LPs informed. The quality of your follow-up determines not just portfolio outcomes, but also your reputation as a disciplined, trusted, long-term partner.
This article outlines how to safeguard your position, add value without overreaching, maintain strong LP communication, and use post-investment insight to refine your dealflow strategy.
Protect Your Investment
Once the deal closes, your first responsibility is making sure the investment you’ve made stays protected.
Monitor company health. Stay aware of key developments, challenges, and pivots. Establish a regular cadence of updates, even informal, to spot red flags early.
Stay aware of follow-on rounds. To track the performance of your portfolio, and to log markups, knowing about follow-on rounds (and having proper documentation) is critical.…
Category: Venture Capital Deals
Execution is where conviction becomes commitment. It’s the stage where you translate a decision into a signed deal. At this stage, it’s critical to align interests, coordinating stakeholders, and moving from intent to action.
Strong execution means clarity on terms, tight communication with co-investors, and professional control of the closing process. This article covers how to structure and negotiate terms, syndicate effectively, and close deals cleanly and confidently.
Structuring and Negotiating Terms
Your negotiation is the start of your partnership. How you handle negotiations sets the tone for the relationship. Healthy relationships help you protect your investments.
Build trust through negotiation. Approach every negotiation as a relationship-building exercise. Show the founder you’re fair, transparent, and aligned for the long term. The reputation you build in these moments determines whether founders see you as a true partner or a transactional investor.…
Decision-making is where analysis meets conviction. It’s the moment you translate sourcing, filtering, and diligence into a clear yes — or a disciplined no.
At this stage, the question is simple: Does this deal fit our thesis, fund model, and return goals? The answer demands both structure and judgment. This article outlines how to use your thesis as a decision lens, build conviction, and engage your stakeholders for confident, well-reasoned commitments.
Anchor Decisions in Your Thesis
Your thesis keeps decisions rational, consistent, and aligned with strategy.
Define your role. Decide whether to lead or follow. Leading brings control and visibility but requires extra bandwidth for term-setting and syndication.
Check portfolio fit. Weigh the deal against your diversification targets, stage allocation, and fund-level risk profile.…
Diligence is how conviction is built. It’s the process of confirming the claims that piqued your interest in the first place — and uncovering red flags — before committing capital.
The goal isn’t to eliminate all risk; it’s to understand the right risks to take.
There is no one-size-fits-all early-stage diligence checklist. Every early-stage emerging VC fund will (and should) have their own diligence process. This article explains how to align diligence with your thesis, adapt it for early-stage startups, and use structure to move quickly and confidently.
Use Your Thesis to Guide Your Diligence
Your thesis defines where to dig deep and what to skip.
Focus on what matters. Identify the few elements that truly drive value for your thesis.…
Filtering is the discipline that turns dealflow into real opportunities.
It’s the process of narrowing your pipeline to startups that truly fit your thesis—and doing it fast enough to stay competitive.
A structured, repeatable filtering process saves time, improves judgment, and ensures your energy goes to companies with the highest potential. This article shows how to design filters that align with your thesis, automate early screening, and communicate clearly with founders.
Your Filter starts with your Thesis
Your thesis defines what belongs in your fund—and what doesn’t. Use it to build your filtering layers.
Set first-stage criteria. Use your thesis to define baseline parameters—sector, geography, stage, valuation range. Anything outside these bounds exits early.
Guide second-stage focus. Your thesis also determines what to emphasize in deeper evaluations: founder quality, market traction, defensibility, or differentiation.…
Sourcing is the lifeblood of venture capital. The best funds don’t wait for deals—they build systems that attract them.
A strong sourcing strategy turns your thesis into a magnet for aligned founders and co-investors. It’s about intentionality, relationship-building, and constant refinement. This article shows how to design a sourcing engine that compounds over time.
Building Your Sourcing Engine
A deliberate, value-driven approach is the foundation of great dealflow.
Focus on top-tier opportunities. These are rare, competitive, and founder-driven. They are not casting a wide net begging for cash—you hear about them through your network and behind closed doors. You win them by establishing credibility and showing the value you bring beyond capital.
Add value and stay visible. Share expertise in your sectors—through founder support, events, or online communities—to grow your network and attract quality inbound opportunities.…