Yesterday, I posted about a smart little thing that I’ve seen entrepreneurs do when they pitch to us here at Masthead – asking if there is anyone who s/he should talk to that might be helpful. Today I wanted to highlight another one. As with all VCs, we are in the position of having to say “no” to 99% of all opportunities. There are many reasons why we wouldn’t do a deal, and a significant one of them comes down to timing. Perhaps it is too early for us to get involved without having that key channel partner, a demonstrated customer usage pattern, or other external validation. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we aren’t interested at all.
A few smart entrepreneurs that we’ve met with have periodically kept in touch with us via e-mail, updating us on new customer wins and other successes. With some of these people we’ve reengaged with to re-explore a potential investment. Others we’ve ended up introducing to potential partners and other valuable people that we’ve met since the initial pitch. A timely periodic, short, e-mail is a great way to keep VCs you’ve talked to updated on your company’s accomplishments. If it’s done a way that isn’t overly frequent or overly intrusive, I think only good things could come of it.