Hi there,
Sending everyone the best for a wonderful holiday break. I’m having a little break myself and will be back with a fresh face and lots of energy for all we have planned for Q2.
Last week, in his note, Dan said “The AI revolution will be quieter, faster, and even more devastating” (to the incumbents)
And this has been on my mind for a while now. I keep getting told that women are going to get left behind unless we make a concerted effort to stay one step ahead.
One of my investees, AI tech founder Siddhi, got in touch and said to me “I don't want women to get left behind in the most important technological shift of our lifetime ”
So we’re on a mission to do this, starting with some IRL events in London to supercharge knowledge and expertise
Sign up to the waitlist for future ones here
Come and join us IRL for our fundraising meetup too > always great to connect with others….
Have a great week
Emmie
IN-PERSON & ONLINE EVENTS
1) [London] Fundraising Meet-Up at Shoosmiths > 23rd April, 9 am to 11 am >> Register here
2) [Online] Fundraising Ask Me Anything with with Carmel and Dan > Dive into all things fundraising at the crossroads of tech and impact, April 14th at 12 noon >> Register here
3) [Online] Finding investors and Nailing your Valuation > 16th April at 12pm, join Sam Simpson, Founder of Founder Catalyst >> Register here
4) [Online] Investor Office Hours > (Few spots left!) April 8th at 12 noon - Limited to 5 founders per breakout room and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis >> Register here
WORD FROM DAN
Here are three king-sized investor questions to nail.
If you’re fundraising I have no doubt you know how to answer the classic ‘why us why this why now” trifecta, when under the lights. But here’s a simple yet deeper question set you may also want to ask yourselves.
When I meet new founders I always ask versions of the below. I'm sure I'm not alone on the investor circuit. Most will have their pocket phrases.
1. What was the conversation in the pub that made you want to solve this problem?
What I'm reaching for:
Your origin story, which is crucial to investors. It also bakes in your why. Exposes how aligned you are. How you complement each other. How you talk to and about each other, as well as the market you’re looking to serve. Exposes the energy between you and it. (Does assume more than one founder :) I tweak to solo)
2. What is your brand promise?
What I'm reaching for:
How you frame value. What the word ‘brand’ means to you (NB it's not fonts, colours, and shapes), whether you frame value in the customer's eyes or your own. Whether you're forward-looking or talking about the ‘now’.
3. How would a client talk about you to a friend in the pub?
What I'm reaching for:
The words and phrases you use. How you position the business (critical! NB a strong position is more than your pitch). How you think a client perceives value. Whether or not you can get out of navel-gazing mode and use really simple language to create maximum impact about ‘them’. I.e., can you sell
Ask yourself all 3 and see how strong your answers are?
And if you're a founder out on the fundraising circuit, I'd love to hear any more investor questions that made you really think - and not the usual asinine nonsense you normally get asked by people like me.
With love, Dan
RESOURCES & EVENTS
1. We’re working on a few AI initiatives with Siddhi Mittal - here is the waitlist to be notified when doors open for the 11th May one >> Register for waitlist
2. Term Sheets with Shoosmiths > Great learnings here if you didn’t get a change to join us live >> Recording here
3. How to best find angel investment > Hear some top tips from Emmie >> Watch here
4. Catch up with Dan Bowyer and special guest Harry Destecroi on the Upside podcast as they discuss all things AI >> Watch here
5. FounderCatalyst > Get 10% off when you join using this link >> You can also get a free 30min 1-1 S/EIS call here
Have a great week,
Love from Emmie, Dan & Lea
Who are we
Emmie - Founder of FFR
Dan - VC leading on the accelerator/ fundraising content
Lea - Runs all things fundraising at FFR