Networking for Entrepreneurs

What if the best networking strategy had nothing to do with “networking” at all? Back in 2014, I started a group called “Delhi Internet Mafia”. To learn from and share insights with founders based out of Delhi. I would cold email founders to show up for the catchup. Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm showed up for one of them. I remember being blown away by his energy, his ambition and his clarity. We stayed in touch. A few years later, Paytm invested in my startup nearbuy. If it weren’t for that group, we may have never raised money from Paytm. 3 ways to build genuine relationships: 1/ Do not try to impress. Be impressed. People can see through your attempts to impress them. But what people can truly be attracted to is your interest in them. Genuine interest. 2/ Engage meaningfully. If engaging offline, ask questions out of pure curiosity. To truly understand. If engaging online, don’t just comment “Great post!” - add insight or ask smart questions. 3/ Give before you ask. That could be sharing feedback on their work, amplifying their content, or connecting them to someone useful. You can never fail with authenticity and trust.

What if the key to your greatest growth isn’t who you know—but who you don’t know yet? We often think of networking as a tool to achieve immediate goals or professional advancement. But there’s a deeper, more transformative layer to building connections: Infinite Horizon Networking. Here are three distinctive types of networking you need to know about: Short-Term Networking: This is the transactional kind—connecting with someone because you need something right now. Most people don’t enjoy this, and for good reason—it feels self-serving and hollow. Long-Term Networking: This is more thoughtful. You build relationships with people in your field, trusting that over time, something meaningful will come of it. It’s the baseline for responsible professionals. Infinite Horizon Networking: This is where the magic happens. It’s about connecting with people outside your immediate sphere—not because they can help you today or even tomorrow, but because they spark your curiosity. They might be an astronaut, a comedian, or a dog breeder. These "impractical" connections often open doors you couldn’t have predicted and lead to exponential growth. Networking isn’t just a tool for business—it’s a way to expand who you are as a person. It’s about curiosity and creativity, and it’s one of the most rewarding investments you can make in your personal and professional life. Who’s someone in your life right now who inspires you, even though their world is completely different from yours?

The fastest way to kill investor interest? A pitch deck full of fluff. "What VCs Actually Want" in pitch deck 1. Simple Problem Statement: ✓ "Companies waste 4 hours per week scheduling meetings" ✓ "Online stores lose $50K yearly to fraud" ✓ "Restaurants throw away 30% of fresh produce" ✓ "HR teams spend 6 hours per hire on paperwork" = Clear pain, specific numbers 2. Direct Solution Language: ✓ "We send AI emails to schedule meetings" ✓ "Our software spots fake transactions in 2 seconds" ✓ "Our app connects restaurants with local food banks" ✓ "Our form builder cuts paperwork to 10 minutes" = Anyone can understand it 3. Real Metrics That Matter: ✓ "Processing 10,000 transactions/month" ✓ "40% margins on each sale" ✓ "Growing 20% week over week" ✓ "90% customer retention after 6 months" = Numbers that show traction 4. Clear Revenue Model: ✓ "Charge $299/month per store" ✓ "Take 2% of each transaction" ✓ "Businesses pay $50 per user" ✓ "Annual contracts at $24K each" = Simple math anyone can do 5. Actual Customer Evidence: ✓ "50 paying customers" ✓ "3 enterprise contracts signed" ✓ "Pilots with Nike and Adidas" ✓ "$50K monthly recurring revenue" = Real proof, not promises What Actually Works? • Start with real customer insights, not just your assumptions. • Show traction—not potential—through metrics. • Simplify the narrative; your deck isn’t a novel. Remember: • VCs don’t invest in slides. They invest in proof, clarity, and conviction. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: • Does your deck make investors say, “I want to learn more,” or “Next!”? Drop a 🚨 if you’re tired of decks full of fluff. #StartupAdvice #PitchDeck #VentureCapital

The UK has no shortage of startup support programmes. But how well do they work? In our new paper, Full Speed Ahead: Accelerating Britain’s network of startup support programmes, we ask whether the startup support ecosystem is delivering on its promise to founders, funders and the wider economy. We spoke to programme operators, founders, and policy experts to understand the challenges and opportunities, and we propose four areas of reform to help startup support programmes deliver lasting, measurable outcomes. As our Patron, Steve Rigby, writes in the foreword: “We are world-class at launching startups – but not yet at helping them scale. If we want the UK to remain globally competitive, we need to raise the bar on the programmes we fund, back, and promote.” Our report unpacks why issues persist. The common problems we found include: – Misaligned expectations: Many accelerators focus heavily on mentoring and workshops, whereas founders need investor and customer connections. – Duration mismatches: Most programmes last under six months, but founders in deep tech, health and regulated sectors need much longer runway to become investment-ready. – Short-term funding cycles: Stop-start grants disrupt mentorship, break community continuity and undermine the long-term trust essential for founder development. – Flawed impact measurement: Startup survival and funding secured are important, but this doesn’t capture long-term founder development or second-time success. A "failed" startup can produce a much stronger entrepreneur. Our recommendations include: – Establish standards and shared definitions for different programme types to bring clarity, comparability, and baseline quality to the sector. – Reform impact measurement to track long-term founder development, not just short-term startup outcomes or programme activities. – Move to longer-term, outcome-linked support, replacing stop-start grants with adaptable contracts that support iteration, trust, and planning. – Pilot demand-led funding vouchers to let public funding follow founder needs and reward high-performing programmes. We believe these reforms matter because founders need clarity, funders need accountability, and programmes need time and tools to improve. Done right, these changes could help ensure that public investment flows to the programmes that deliver the most value for founders and the UK economy.

Of the 87 VC meetings I had in 2022 for our pre-seed, 75 of them came by way of a warm introduction. Here's how you use your network to get warm introductions to the funds you want to meet with. Venture capital runs on warm introductions. It's one of the biggest reasons underrepresented founders struggle to raise VC - they either waste time sending cold emails or they don't know how to use their networks to get warm introductions. Don't underestimate your network! You'll be surprised at how many people want to see you win and are willing to support you. 𝟏. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 I've shared the how behind this before, but before you raise you should have a spreadsheet of 250-300 funds with the following information: 1. Name of fund 2. Website 3. Investor name(s) 4. Who can intro? Columns 1-3 should be populated for every fund and investor on your list 𝟐. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 Search each investor's name on LinkedIn and see who you're connected to that's a mutual connection. You only need to meet with ONE person from each fund, so if each fund has a team of 3 people, chances are that you have at least one mutual connection between the two of you. Ideally, this is a 1st level connection, but 2nd level is okay too. 𝟑. 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 Once you find the mutual connection(s), add them to your spreadsheet in the "Who can intro?" column. 𝟒. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤 Reach out to the mutual connections to ask them if they can introduce you to the investors. You can do this via email, text, or even DM; pick whatever channel you have the most direct line to the person in. When asking for an intro, be direct. A lot of people with connections to investors are used to getting requests for intros, so you don't need to warm them up or ask for a call before you ask for the intro (use your best judgment here, though; if you think a call would be good then go for it). To ask for an intro, send the mutual connection a forwardable email that they can pass along to the investor without having to make any edits. Include your company's one-liner, traction, and a link to your pitch deck in that email. 𝟓. 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 Run through 20-25 funds at a time, knowing that you'll get meetings with 25-30% of the funds you ask for intros to. You have people in your corner cheering you on. Let them help you by opening up their networks to you. I write to help underrepresented founders get funded in my weekly newsletter Finessing Funding. You can subscribe at the link in the comments 👇🏾 #fundraising #blackfounders #vc

What's the difference between a venture studio, venture incubator, venture accelerator, and venture fund? Here’s a breakdown with examples: 𝟏) 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨: Studios create startups from the ground up. They develop ideas in-house, then pair them with founders to build companies. Studios provide deep operational support and a strong network to help the startup scale. They also take significant equity in the business. Examples: Atomic, Human Ventures, High Alpha, betaworks, Science 𝟐) 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Incubators focus on helping very early-stage startups develop their ideas (they do not usually provide the ideas like a studio). They provide resources like office workspace, mentorship, and community. These are usually longer, less structured programs. Examples: Idealab, StartX at Stanford 𝟑) 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Accelerators work with early-stage startups over a fixed-term program to accelerate growth. They provide mentorship, small amounts of capital, and access to investors in exchange for equity. Accelerators are more structured than incubators and outline specific tracks to turn a startup into a scalable business. Examples: Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Global 𝟒) 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝: Venture capital funds provide financial backing to startups at different stages in exchange for equity. While they invest, they don’t typically provide the hands-on support that studios, incubators, or accelerators do. Examples: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners Key takeaways (bc Nicole I didn’t read all that): - Venture Studio: Builds startups from scratch, offering operational support - Venture Incubator: Provides resources and mentorship to help early-stage startups grow - Venture Accelerator: Helps startups scale quickly in exchange for equity, typically in a fixed-term program - Venture Fund: Focuses on providing financial capital in exchange for equity, with less operational involvement 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒑 𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝑪 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘🪄 𝑽𝑪 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: https://lnkd.in/g_wQQYfV 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑽𝑪 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒍: https://lnkd.in/gjhyd7fw #venturecapital #startup #founder

You DON'T need more experience to mentor others. Here's how to get started as a mentor and make a difference TODAY: 1. Don't wait Why: It will help you grow, serve others, and improve this skill. How: ↳Identify individuals who are at a stage you were in 2-3 years ago. ↳Reach out to potential mentees or mentoring programs. ↳Share your interest in mentoring with your network. 2. Ask questions Why: Helps gather necessary inputs for guidance and brings the mentee along the journey How: ↳Ask open ended questions (e.g. what makes you think that)? ↳Limit "why" questions to avoid sounding judgmental. 3. Actively listen Why: Foundational to understanding the situation and guiding the conversation How: ↳Listen to understand, not to respond. ↳Be present, eliminate distraction. ↳Periodically summarize what is being said to ensure understanding. 4. Understand Mentee Why: The more you know about your mentee, the more tailored and effective your guidance can be. How: ↳Ask open ended questions to learn more about them (e.g. background, aspiration). ↳Encourage them to share with you relevant artifacts. ↳With their permission, reach out to stakeholders they work with for first-hand input. 5. Suspend Judgement Why: Create a safe, trusting, open environment encouraging vulnerability and growth. How: ↳Don't make assumptions, ask. ↳Avoid labeling things as good or bad. ↳Emphasize learning from past events. 6. Set Expectation Why: Clear expectations ensure the relationship is effective for both sides. How: ↳Establish ground rules for mentorship. ↳Discuss and agree on the frequency and format of meetings. ↳Regularly review and adjust progress and expectations. 7. Provide guidance Why: It's important that the mentee makes their own decisions, as they are both accountable for the outcome and know their situation best. How: ↳Provide inputs vs. telling the mentee what to do. ↳Encourage additional perspectives to be considered. 8. Be Courageous Why: Mentoring sometimes involves challenging the mentee (e.g., how they think). Having these crucial conversations is foundational for growth. How: ↳Focus on being kind rather than just being nice. ↳Provide support. ↳Stretch mentee beyond their comfort zone. Bonus: 0. Be Excited Why: Your positivity radiates to the mentee and the relationship How: ↳Celebrate progress (no matter how small) ↳Use supportive and uplifting language ↳Smile and have fun PS: Mentorship is one of the most rewarding professional experiences - for both sides. ---- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Founders, don't be fake. We can tell. I meet hundreds of founders every month and it’s very obvious when someone is trying to artificially form a relationship. That said, I do understand the need for founders to build relationships with VCs (and balancing that with keeping their startup alive and healthy). So here are my 4 top tips for founders to do it the right way: 1️⃣ Have a Proper Conversation A conversation is when two or more people are talking with each other. A monologue or presentation is when one person speaks, or dominates an entire conversation. I say this because often, I have coffee chats with founders who give me a 5 or 10 or 15 minute pitch about their startup. It’s exciting, groundbreaking, they’ve done a lot of work and are gaining traction but… They won’t let me speak! They dominate the conversation, won’t let me speak until their entire 15 minute presentation is over and even assume the question I’m going to ask when I’ve only said three words. To be honest, it’s frustrating. If we’re having a coffee chat, then let’s chat. 2️⃣ Don’t Overpromise The startup industry is now a place where founders think that VCs expect them to promise the world. “We will democratise the entire health industry.” “We will revolutionise online communities.” Let’s be real: We all know that’s not true. Yet. So don’t oversell and overpromise. It’s great to be confident and have a big dream, but you should also be presenting them in realistic terms. Don’t say, “We will definitely hit $1 million ARR in the next 6 months” if you don’t have the stats to prove it. Be patient. Keep building. And we’ll talk again when you hit those numbers. 3️⃣ Do Your Research! It’s shocking how many people don’t do their research when they come for a coffee chat. I’ve had people say to me, “I love what you did at BukuWarung!” The problem: I never founded or worked at BukuWarung. I have no connections with BukuWarung. That’s a big red flag. So do your research, get your basic facts right and you’ll be on your way to building a good relationship with a potential new VC! 4️⃣ Say You Don’t Know! Everyone loves to “fake it till you make it”. Please don’t. If you don’t know something, just say so. We don’t expect you to be an expert in everything, and VCs are here to help. If you’re able to be open and vulnerable, that helps to build trust. We don’t have to keep wondering about all the things that you’re not telling us! * In short, remember that VCs are humans too. Some of us, like myself, were also founders. We get the pressure that you’re under, so just be yourself. Don’t have to overthink the “networking” part - and this is advice coming from an introvert like myself!

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 With a decade of experience, from founding my first business in 2014 to achieving two successful exits, I’ve learned the immense value of collaboration, which we continue to prioritize at X-Shift through partnerships with local and global players. Building strategic business relationships is one of the most pivotal factors in driving business growth, especially in the tech sector. As someone who has navigated this landscape for years, I'd like to share a few invaluable lessons for anyone looking to scale their business through collaboration. 𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝: Partnerships give you access to the resources, expertise, and technologies that would otherwise take years to build internally. The right partnership can be the difference between staying stagnant and growing exponentially. 𝟐. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥: One of the most powerful lessons I've learned is the value of blending global innovation with local expertise. For instance, at X-Shift, our collaborations with companies like XEBO.ai (Survey2Connect) Exotel or Knowmax allow us to bring cutting-edge technologies and innovation to our region. But it's our deep understanding of the local market that ensures these solutions resonate and succeed. It’s a perfect balance of global insight and local relevance. 𝟑. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: A successful partnership is built on trust and alignment. It’s not just about the technology or the business deals. Shared goals and a common vision create the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth. Without trust, even the most promising collaboration will fall apart. 𝟒. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲: Stagnation is the enemy of growth. The tech sector evolves fast, and being adaptable helps you stay ahead of the curve. Don’t be afraid to pivot when necessary. 𝟓. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧-𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬: The best partnerships are those where both parties walk away better off. Seek out collaborations where both sides gain value, whether it’s through shared technologies, expanded markets, or enhanced capabilities. A partnership should be a journey of mutual growth, not just a transaction. While collaborations offer limitless opportunities, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 key question we must ask ourselves as companies is: have we done great work internally, to position ourselves for success when those collaboration opportunities arise? #collaboration #business #tech #global #saudiarabia #KSA

“Let’s move everything to the channels with the best ROI,” suggested a CFO to a CMO at a $75mm SaaS brand. “Not so fast,” replied the seasoned CMO, “marketing doesn’t work that way.” A painful conversation ensued. As usual, I had questions. Should CMOs look at performance by channel? Of course. Most importantly, it can identify trends over time. A channel that worked well for you last year might be underperforming this year due to macro issues. For example, many B2B brands are seeing drops in organic search traffic and increased costs for paid search. Some of this is caused by the rise of LLMs, including in Google searches. But even with this example, it’s not that simple. Search performance is also directly linked to top-of-mind brand awareness. In my recent podcast interview with Jason Ing, CMO of Gusto, he shared that their search (both paid and organic) performance improved dramatically this year as they increased spending on brand advertising (specifically, promoted videos on linear TV, YouTube, and social channels). Should CMOs share channel performance data with other execs? Not if they can help it. Sharing this data with executives who don’t understand the interconnectedness of marketing activities will jump to faulty conclusions, like, “Let’s put all our money into search since that’s the most effective lead source.” Like Search, Email is another channel that, in isolation, can easily be misinterpreted. Sarah Jordan, the CMO of Constant Contact, a leading email service provider, recently shared, “Open rates of emails can increase dramatically when coupled with multichannel marketing activities.” Case in point – On Monday, I saw an ad for a new type of Allbirds (my secret obsession) on Instagram, and then an email arrived inviting me to an event at their SOHO store. Sold. When I show up at the store, they’ll attribute it to the email. It's not wrong, but it's also not the whole story. Sure, that’s a B2C story. One impulse buyer. Short sales cycle. B2B sellers face buying committees and longer sales cycles. But that only means that you need more touches via more channels to advance and close the sale. Since data must be shared with other executives, how do you avoid getting granular?  🐧 💜 Start by aligning with Sales. Better yet, create a plan that will make Sales love you. On this week’s episode of CMO Huddles Studio, Kelly Hopping, CMO of Demandbase, noted that everyone on her team knows their role in generating Sales love. Explains Hopping, “It doesn’t mean that everything is optimized for Sales or bottom of the funnel pipeline – it means we give them a brand that they love, content that’s easy to consume and share, events that they’re proud to invite their customer to, etc.” Once Sales understands how the pieces fit together, you can then jointly share metrics on a campaign level or a multi-quarter basis. Ideally, these include blended measures of brand strength AND pipeline health. What metrics are you sharing?