How do you find investors for a startup?

“I wasted months of my life cold-emailing VCs as a first-time founder, and I am here to tell you it just does not work. The real path is warm introductions from founders whose companies made those funds money, because investors trust the operator who has been in the seat more than any deck.”

“The best introduction is from another founder, ideally an outlier portfolio founder of that VC, because VCs trust founders who have already been through the ringer. Cold outbound is the worst use of your time. If you cannot get a founder intro, target angels or operators the VC respects, but never lead with a same-stage VC intro; it reads as a negative signal.”

“I found my best investors through warm intros from other founders, especially the Y Combinator community after my first company. Build relationships before you need the money: always be raising, never be actively raising, and when the first term sheet lands, move fast with a polished deck in hand.”

“I would start long before you need the check. My research and teaching consistently show that the best introductions come from someone the VC already trusts, and that the relationship is built through months of update meetings, not a single pitch. Do your homework on which partner, not just which firm, actually invests in your space.”

“The best way in is a warm intro through someone the investor already trusts, but if you don't have that network, cold outreach works if you do the work: personalize it, know who you're writing to, and stand out. We've backed founders who reached us on Twitter and through cold emails, but never from a to whom it may concern pitch.”

“I spent my early years chasing every VC with a checkbook, and the worst meetings were the ones where I was pitching strangers who had no reason to care. The investors you want almost always come through a founder they've already backed, so your real job is to make those founders want to vouch for you before you ever ask for an introduction.”

“I start with founder friends, angels, and other investors in my network, then use AngelList, Signal, and LinkedIn to fill the gaps. The best intros come from founders or angels who can vouch for you, not from someone who just happens to have an email address.”

“The best investors usually come through people who already know you or know your market, so start with the founders, operators, and angels in your specific domain rather than cold-casting a wide net. I spent five months getting to know the Chronosphere founders before we did the deal, because founder-VC fit matters way more than any pitch deck.”

“The best way in is through founders already in their portfolio, because VCs posture but founders will tell you who actually shows up. I also think you should pick someone whose brand lends you credibility in the conversations that matter, not just the highest price.”

“I look for founders first, then the company: the best introductions come from people I've already backed or worked with, because trust transfers faster than a deck. When I led Sumo Logic's round in 2012, the deal came through that network, not a cold pitch.”

“I found Lux by Googling nanotechnology venture capital in 2007 and reached out offering diligence help, not asking for money. Build relationships before you need the check, because warm introductions through people you've worked with are how most real deals happen.”