"What Do Investors Look For" by Jeffrey Paine, Founding Partner, Golden Gate Ventures Presented at Vietnam Satellite 2013 More information: e27.co/echelon

1. What do investors
look for
Echelon Vietnam Satellite 2013
Apr 17, 2013
@jpaine
jeff@goldengate.vc
paine.co

2. You are changing the
world, not us (investors)

3. There are founders &
there are everybody else

4. Lack of a big enough
market who loves your
product

5. Shitty Ideas
Lifestyle Businesses
High Growth Companies
95%

6. Product
Sales
B2C
B2B
Marketplaces
B2B2C
Hyper local
Regional
Global

7. Friends/ Family
Angel/Seed Funds
Series-X (Serious) –
Institutional Funds

9. + 4 more…and 3-4 more identified

10. Investment focus
Southeast Asia (primarily)
Consumer Internet
Mobile
Casual/ Mobile Games
Infrastructure
Software as a Service (b2b…)
...others...

11. Our network
Limited Partner Network
Personal Network
goldengate.vc/partners
goldengate.vc/mentors

12. Value add (as a firm)
Follow-on Capital / Exits
Product (User Experience, Marketing, Growth
Hacking, PR)
Recruiting
Customer/Partner/Mentor Introductions (Silicon
Valley, Southeast Asia, rest of Asia bridging)

13. In short.. we make stuff happen
southeast asian style

14. We say no >95% of the
time

15. We know through
(pattern recognition) but
the truth is, we really
don’t know

16. So what do we look for?

17. Talent
Market
Traction

18. Talent
No assholes*
Obsessed with product*
Hustler
Never say die
Get drunk with

19. Market
New or Differentiated*
Problem + Right Audience

20. Traction
Problem + Right Audience
Launched with Product
Market Infatuation Fit*

21. Product Market
Infatuation Fit
A product that satisfy a
market with engagement
data + sustainable growth
that shows “yearning
love”

22. 4 Hacks for you
Know all three types of investors. Hustle to know
them, get advice. Show them your progress
Focus on Pre-Built Demand (but new & unique,
have a clear differentiation)
Make users love your product (launch fast)
Then ideate more and think bigger

23. 4 investor look outs for you
Investor is not fascinated about your product
Person to person chemistry is out of whack*(call
test)
Do not network and hustles for you
Terms are too weird or uncomfortable – gut feel

24. In conclusion we are looking for:
"Nice cockroaches with steel balls
who understand their users well and
hustle to deliver highly engaging
products that they love and adore."

25. Thank you, questions?
@jpaine
jeff@goldengate.vc
paine.co