Writing

Why you Should Keep a Brag Document

The end of the year is a natural time for self reflection. It’s an opportunity to take stock and consider the accomplishments you made over the past 12 months. The big things are usually obvious. You made these hires, you worked on these projects, you shipped these features and, if you're lucky, have some positive stats to show for the work.  However the details are always a little bit fuzzy. 

Crafting the Perfect Pitch Deck (from a VCs Point of View)

As a newly minted Venture Partner I’ve seen a few hundred pitches and pitch decks the past 12 months. While this is nothing compared with some of my peers, I’ve noticed a few clear patterns start to emerge. Patterns which, if founders were better prepared, would significantly increase their chances of securing investment.

The 4 Elements of An Effective Brand

Good brand architecture is a hierarchy. Like the oft used Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, it starts with some basic obviously fundamentals that every brand should have, but then grows into areas that few brands successfully achieve. This article outlines four such levels, although I suspect there are plenty of different framings one could use.

How to Write Genuinely Helpful Investor Updates (that Don’t Suck)

As a Seedcamp Venture Partner, start-up advisor and occasional angel investor, I’ve found myself looped in to an increasing number of investor updates of late. While I’m by no means an expert in managing investor relations, I’ve spotted a few common patterns that make these updates a joy to read from an investor perspective, while allowing founders to get the most out of their investor and advisor networks. Let’s start with the basics…