Allen Taylor, fundraiser extraordinaire at Endeavor, just completed a talk and workshop on fundraising at Unreasonable’s Literacy Lab accelerator.
In his presentation Allen made a point which is extremely important, yet often overlooked:
Investors invest into lines, not dots.
All too often entrepreneurs believe that they just need to deliver a kickass pitch to an investor and the money will flow. Truth is — your presentation, as good as it may be, is only a single dot in your interactions with a potential funder.
To receive an investment typically requires the investor knowing you, being comfortable with your ability to build and lead your company and ultimately like you.
To get there it requires time and multiple interactions — creating a line, instead of putting a single dot on the map. To do so you will want to build those relationships before you need to raise money.
Build strong relationships with potential funders early and it will pay off in big ways down the line.