Interview, Fireside Chat
How To Cold Email Investors - Michael Seibel
- Emails readable within 60 seconds or less are predicted to be read and typically result in an immediate reply, particularly if they allow for a 60 to 120-second response window.
- Content requiring two to five minutes to read will likely be saved for later review without a specified timing for the eventual reply.
- Replies to founders are planned only for emails containing raw facts regarding problems, solutions, launch status, growth, market size, co-founders, coding ability, or controversial insights, while excluding narrative or historical context.
- Providing an enticing summary of work is expected to provoke proactive investor inquiries and replies, whereas requiring a meeting before explaining the company's work is predicted to set a higher bar and reduce founder leverage.
- The primary objective of initial outreach is predicted to be securing a reply to initiate conversation rather than an immediate request for a meeting or investment.
- Investors are predicted to feel uncomfortable or perceive undue time pressure if an email appears to push for an in-person meeting.
- Once an email is read and the recipient determines their timing, sending multiple quick follow-ups is considered unnecessary.
- Investors using tools like "Reportive" or "Superhuman" are predicted to lack information about senders if the message does not originate from an actual personal address.
- Pitch decks formatted differently from the standard Silicon Valley style (e.g., the Airbnb template) are expected to be ineffective, while industry-specific deviations in sectors like finance or marketing may cause confusion.
- Founders are advised to track open rates to verify investor engagement and ensure emails are actually being seen.