Relationships Between Founders and VC Investors

“You don’t want to take advice from me, you want to take it from founders who are living it right now…” -Annie Kadavy

So you’re a founder looking to raise capital today or likely in the near future. Maybe you’re at Seed Stage, excited about your vision and focused on finding your product/market fit. Or maybe you’re a Series A startup with your roots firmly planted and ready to take on the world. Regardless of where you are, it’s never too early to build authentic relationships with investors who can help you at the next step—the best practice is to start now.

Last Wednesday, a small group of Founders Network members, including Stephen Backer of 2ndLine, Shaheen Kazi of Tryfy and Leah Eichler of r/ally Inc, sat down with Annie Kadavy of Charles River Ventures for a private fnMentoring session. Kadavy led an intimate roundtable discussion, sharing valuable insights about raising venture capital for early stage Consumer Internet startups.

During the session, Kadavy covered a wide range of topics–from prioritizing product development and fundraising activities, to understanding basic vernacular around Seed and Series A funding. Our favorite quote spoke to the value of peer mentorship for tech startup founders: “You don’t want to take advice from me, you want to take it from founders who are living it right now. Similarly, founder introductions are our best source of deal flow.” Kadavy also stressed the importance of building authentic relationships with investors as the best way to approach fundraising discussions.

A huge thanks to Annie for her time and mentorship!  We look forward to cultivating authentic relationships between her and our members. Members can listen to the full session recording here. For the opportunity to access FN’s many benefits, including an invitation to our next fnMentoring session, apply here.