Dear SaaStr: How Can I Get The Attention of Software VCs?
#1: Get Out There:
- Get in TechCrunch.
- Get on Hackernews.
- Get on stage at any B tier or A tier event.
- Get warm intros from any successful founders or seed investors you know.
- Rent a cheap booth at an event lots of VCs attend. Don’t blow the bank, but this does work.
- Go to industry parties where VCs are and introduce yourself without being a stalker.
- Enter a top-tier accelerator. YC, EF, etc. They work. VCs flock to them.
- Move to the SF Bay Area and network everywhere VCs and founders are. This works.
I hear story after story of startups that were funded after meeting VCs at SaaStr Annual.
Bottom line: hustle to be where VCs are, either literally or virtually.
#2. Cold Email Does Work. But it Has to Be Great.
This is easier once you have a little bit of traction to share. Just asking for coffee doesn’t. But here are two cold emails I funded for millions. A third founder I funded at Owner, copied this format and I invested as well:
Finally he’s a great recent example of Mangomint, an SMB for the beauty industry. It raised a total of $40m from VCs it met at SaaStr Annual (events) + cold email (to me).
