As an entrepreneur raising funding, it's easy to get into the mentality of pitching to anyone who will listen, but an active discussion amongst the investment community has sparked considerable debate on whether or not entrepreneurs should be more respectful of the chain of command. Should startups be pitching associates directly or should they be waiting for general partners to take notice?
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Yesterday Venture Hacks sent out an update on Twitter quoting Sweepery founder Matt Oesterle's statement, "Associates at VC firms can be your greatest advocates to partners, not roadblocks."
VP of Strategy and Business Development at Slide Keith Rabois responded with multiple comments on how True Venture, Khosla, Sequoia and Benchmark don't depend on associates for introductions. Said Rabois, "The best VC's do not even have associates."
Naturally, a number of associates chimed in. Most notably, Bessemer Venture Partners' Sarah Tavel directed readers to her blog post about junior associates as a firm's frontline and Senior Associate at Spark Capital Rob Go responded with a post on the advantages of connecting with associates.
The one thing that the group seems to agree on is the fact that quality introductions to GP's are the key to landing a serious meeting. The issue is, what constitutes a quality introduction and who are the best advocates? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Aidan Jones
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