As the ways for us to engage have exploded (IG, DM, email, Whatsapp, text, etc.), finding the right way to engage with people has become more challenging. If you want to engage with me, I wrote a user manual (HT to Zach Coelius). I put it on my email, Twitter, and everywhere. Life would be easier if everyone had one. Feedback and suggestions to improve are always welcome (via email).
Communication
I live in email. While I read them all, I do not respond to all.
Please don’t call, text, or dm. martin@incisive.vc
If you have a company to pitch, do NOT email, please use this form, it helps me handle the firehose.
I do my own scheduling and generally suck at it. If it is not on my calendar, it generally doesn’t get done, please remind me by email if we are supposed to get together.
I read all my Twitter and Linkedin DMs. I rarely respond.
I practice double opt-in introductions. Please do the same for me.
Before you pitch me please spend time on my blog, Twitter, etc. as I am very transparent about the kinds of companies my superpowers are best for. Start with this.
I work mostly in Seattle and am up and down the west coast frequently.
Meetings
I live by the Warren Buffet school of meetings and try to avoid having them.
You might find me rude if I refuse a meeting or ask to do it over email or a form. Sorry. I am just trying to save us both wasted time.
Investing
I invest Pre-Seed after some product/market validation. I call it the Goldilocks stage. I don’t invest in ideas prior to an MVP.
I generally invest in technology that reduces friction at scale. Industry and geography agnostic. This leads me to do a lot of Vertical market SaaS B2B and B2B2C. Here is my portfolio.
I don’t invest in crypto, hardware, biotech, deeptech, materials, CPG, or really any sector that doesn’t intersect well with my personal knowledge base and network.
I tried handling pitches in email and it sucked (stuff lost, etc.). Please pitch me through here, I have magic in there that helps find the perfect matches for us both much faster.
I like counterintuitive, somewhat crazy-sounding ideas, send ‘em.
I spend the vast majority of my time looking at pre-seed deals where I invest $100k-$500K. I have the capacity for up to $5M follow on.
As an entrepreneur, I pitched to hundreds of investors. Much of that time was wasted. The goal is to not repeat that.
My favorite entrepreneurs challenge my thinking and enjoy the same. My least favorite take it personally.
I hate walking through a deck on our first call. Let’s just have a conversation about your business and what unique insight you have. I will read the deck before we talk.
Personal
I study Stoicism and try to suck a little less every day.
I rarely am the smartest person in the room. I hope you are.
I am super curious and like to get to the point quickly. If I ever come across as rude to you, please let me know. I am often oblivious to it. I value your feedback.
Links
Twitter: I use this a lot and it is a great place to connect
Linkedin: I only connect with folks who I have actually met
Angellist Syndicate: I welcome all backers and there is no obligation to invest
Incisive Ventures Fund 1: If you are accredited and want to invest in our fund, email me.
