Getting a venture capitalist to respond to your cold email pitch is a skill many founders covet. But what happens when the VC you have targeted emails you back?
The first thing you need to check is who the response came from, according to Crunchbase.
An email from a decision-maker at a VC such as the principal, managing director or original founders means they are actually considering your pitch and would like to hear or read more about your company.
If the email comes from an associate and you are not looking to raise capital, feel free to ignore it.
An associate’s job is to get in touch with as many startups as possible and they may waste your time. But you could ask them for a connection to a principal.
Another important task is to begin prioritizing your time. This entails not just jumping on every call from a VC and preferably deferring such requests to a board member to give yourself time to learn about the venture firm.
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Crunchbase advises that founders and entrepreneurs who have been approached by a VC should think wisely about what they are sharing to ensure they do not give away any valuable information that could compromise their company or idea.
If you are not looking to raise capital and the venture firm cold emailed you, make sure you let them know about your plans and save their contact details for when you are ready to raise.
