The best format we've found is:
[5 mins] Intro from you (the lead): why are you investing? what do you love? set the stage!
[5 mins max] Quick intro from the founder: tell them to avoid slides, be more personable, and tell a story instead
[5-10 mins] Pre-set questions from you: come up with a few 3-5 key questions with the founder ahead of time to get the Q&A flowing
[30-40 mins] Investor open Q&A (live): add your own commentary to the founders answers when it makes sense to show the excitement of the opportunity
Tips to follow:
During your intro: make sure you mention how to access the Deal Note and how to invest
During the session: post the link to the Deal Note in the session chat
We don't recommend doing product demos during this session, keep it engaging and conversational. If investors want a demo they can request that separately, or simply have the founders record a demo and upload it on the deal note.
Always say a specific call to action, multiple times (remind investors how to invest, tell them where to find the deal note, tell them to submit their investment asap, etc.)
Remind investors that investment requests are first-come-first-serve, we don't scale-back so once the allocation is full that's it, no one else will get in
As you wrap up the session:
mention how to access the Deal Note and how to invest again, and
if some investments have already come in mention that investments have already started filling up and that it is first come first serve so it’ll be cut off when the allocation is reached or by the deadline.
After the session is done, within 12 hours:
Send out an email to all your LPs including the link to the recording, the Deal Note link, and make sure you include a specific call-to-action (ie. submit your investment here) with instructions on how to invest.
Feel free to mention a deadline and/or you may also want to mention how much of the allocation is already filled (if it’s 50%+).
Follow this template agenda during the session:
>>> Action: HIT RECORD!!
[2-3 mins] Introduce yourself & your syndicate
mention how to access the Deal Note and how to invest
[2 mins] Bit of housekeeping: Disclaimer + Confidentiality + recording:
Disclaimer: The information you hear today is coming directly from the founder, it does not make up part of the official deal note and should not be relied on to make investment decisions.
Confidentiality: Everything you learn here today is confidential and should not be shared with others.
Recording: We are recording, you’ll get a copy of the recording, please note the recording is also confidential and should not be shared with others.
[1 min] Set up agenda:
First a quick intro from founder(s),
then Q&A from audience, feel free to raise your hand and I’ll call on you to speak, or put your question in the chat and I’ll ask it for you
[3-5 mins] Give a brief intro to the founder & the company
How you met the founder, why you love the team
Why you’re investing, what are you excited about
How did you get an allocation
Hand over to the founder(s)
>>> Action: DROP LINK to Deal Note in the chat
[5-10mins] Founder intro
Have them talk about themselves, why they are doing this, exciting recent updates
[30-40 mins] Audience Q&A
[2 mins] Wrap up & reminders
If you're ready to invest, get your investment in asap, just submit that on the deal note and hit the blue invest button
Thank you to everyone who has already submitted your investment request, remember we don't scale back investments so once the allocation is filled, that's it, it's first-come-first-serve.
Questions to kick things off (until others start asking questions):
tell us more about the rest of the team
tell us about the progress you’ve made over the last 12 months
tell us about the product roadmap for the next 12-24 months
tell us about some of the other investors you’ve secured
tell us about your long-term vision for the company
>>> mention you’ve already had a number of investments come in so it may be that you close it early
>>> reminder on how to invest
Agenda / Overview to send to founder:
Here's an agenda you can send the founder to help them prepare ahead of time.
Agenda:
[5-7 mins] I'll introduce myself & the syndicate & cover a few housekeeping things for the session
[5-10mins] Founder intro
I'll invite you to talk about yourself. Try to focus on you, why you are doing this, any exciting recent updates, tell a good story
[30-40 mins] Audience Q&A
I'll kick things off with a few questions
We'll open it up to the audience for any questions they have
Tips to prepare:
You'll likely get questions about your numbers so be prepared, with key numbers & data ready top of mind.
Investors really want to understand you and how you tick, so make sure you touch on your expertise / unique insights / earned experience
Don't be afraid to say you don't know an answer, but you can show investors how you think through a challenge
Let me know if there's anything you want me to ask you to highlight something specific