back to basics + following: taylor crane

the vc marketer: where VCs go to market

Author

Rachel Mackey
September 19, 2024

The Hot Take This Week

Well everyone, this week we’re talking the basics. We’re doing that primarily because I just figured out that the first 3 editions of my newsletter all had the same subject line.

Live, laugh, spiral (for 5 minutes), move on.

So what would I tell you, the person responsible for marketing at an emerging VC, if you asked me where to start?

At the most basic level, your GPs need to be aligned on investment thesis and values. Without this, and without buy-in from at least one GP, crafting a compelling marketing strategy is next to impossible. I realize this statement seems incredibly obvious, but it’s a more common issue than one would think.

A colleague of mine recently shared this interesting article breaking down 15+ VC brands. If you have the time, I recommend digging into the whole piece. If you don’t, this quote from Helen Min of Phenomenal Ventures really captures the essence of building your brand as a VC.

“A venture firm’s brand communicates its personality and values, giving prospective founders, LPs, co-investors, team members, etc., a sense of what it would be like to work with them before ever meeting. Strong brands are built over time through consistent behaviors and actions, which is why there is usually a correlation between the brand's strength and the firm’s tenure and track record. New funds and emerging managers set expectations on what they are working towards through their choices in branding and positioning their firms.

A firm’s brand is often synonymous with the reputation of its founding partners or most well-known general partners, so my advice to anyone putting effort towards branding their firm right now would be to be bold and differentiated to stand out but also be authentic to who you are so you can effortlessly and consistently meet the expectations your brand sets. Consistency is key to building trust and building brand.”

Helen Min, Phenomenal Ventures

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ll dive into actionable back to basics marketing tactics next week.

Next!

Follow for Hot Tips 💅🏽

This week, I’m following Taylor Crane, Founder of Fractional Jobs.

Taylor writes a unique newsletter on fractional work. It was very helpful to me during my search for fractional work, and continues to be a great resource.

5 stars, highly recommend. Subscribe here.

Tell Me What’s Going On 👩🏽‍💻

Why you should feel good about the American economy. The hook: All six of the most valuable companies in the U.S. — all of which are worth more than $1 trillion — have been created in the last 50 years.

OpenAI releases "Strawberry" model with better reasoning. The hook: The new model operates differently than prior versions in that it considers different paths before attempting to respond to a query.

Global Venture Capital Outlook: The Latest Trends. The hook: Generative AI continues to garner considerable investment across categories. Foundation and large language models attracted the highest share of funding due to their capital-intensive nature.

Fearless Fund is shutting down its contested Strivers Grant program. The hook: Many within the venture industry have closely followed AAER’s lawsuit against Fearless Fund, and some investors and founders expressed their surprise that a civil rights act enacted to help the formerly enslaved was now being used against that very population. Read: we were (and are) quietly whispering, “what the f*ck?” to ourselves when we think about Edward Blum.

The Unicorn Board Adds 8 New Companies, With One Newly Minted Entry Valued At $16B. The hook: To date in 2024 $152 billion in value was added by 79 new unicorns.

Tell Me Where To Be 🤝

Denver

It’s Denver Startup Week, y’all! I chose a couple of events that stood out to me. Check out the full schedule here.

LA

Austin

Chicago

That’s all for now. See you next week!

Have a recommended follow or event? Want to sponsor this newsletter? DM me.