Show Prospective Investors Who’s the Boss , Good Copy Make Users Want to Hangout with Your Brand - Tactician: #0071

”‘To show investors who’s the boss, I just stand still and say nothing. It’s about presence, you know? Eventually, they say, ‘Are you going to talk?’ And I reply, ‘I just did, but on a higher frequency. Your dog probably got it.’”

05/03/24

Show Prospective Investors Who’s the Boss

Why Read (5-7 minutes):

• Insights on overcoming investor skepticism and practical tactics for differentiation.

Author:

• Jean de La Rochebrochard, Managing Partner at Kima Ventures 

Link: 

• “Don't Give Up”

Key Concepts and Tactics:

• Recognising Market Perceptions:

  • "Over the past few weeks, I had many discussions with entrepreneurs who are facing hard perceptions from investors about the market in which they navigate. What they hear is often the same… The space is too crowded. There is already a clear leader. The market is a graveyard of companies."

  • "It means that if the timing isn’t right (when was the right time to launch Uber) or if the buyer persona is fully loaded with solutions and won’t give anything else a try (LMS, CRM… If there is an acronym already, it doesn’t look so great haha), if the inner forces or dynamics of the market, often driven by the incumbents, are too strong (Live entertainment for instance, or the Temporary work market…), your odds of success will be limited."

• Challenging Crowded Markets:

  • "The space is too crowded. If that’s the case, your knowledge about it must be extraordinary and you must demonstrate the following: You have understood something that other players haven’t; You have a unique angle to win the market; You are very fast and precise when it comes to strategy, tactics, and execution."

• Dealing with Market Leaders:

  • "There is already a clear leader. You will meet investors who want to back the category leader/definer and if you’re not that player, just forget about them and move on to other investors."

  • "You can start from a different geography and win over there. Europe VS US for instance. It’s very common to see two different players tapping into different markets. It doesn’t always work out, look at Airbnb versus HouseTrip for instance back in the day."

• Entering a 'Graveyard' Market:

  • "The market is a graveyard of companies. Sometimes you indeed enter a market where almost no leaders have emerged and it looks like the market doesn’t want you."

  • "Start with a niche and nail it. That is how DICE started with small venues in London just to expand into bigger ones after many years or how temporary work startups are starting in subcategories or through very specific needs instead of launching broadly."

• Navigating Markets with Small Players:

  • "The sector doesn’t seem very big, there are only small players. This one is tricky because most companies remain small in a way, but investors are reassured by a space where it seems there is traction, you want to be pulled by the demand in a way."

  • "Work hard on finding a very strong product market fit and then only activate the hard push distribution button, your own traction will change the investors’ perspective."

• Perseverance and Clarity of Vision:

  • "I know it’s hard to face investors who have so many doubts, it’s like their fear is taking over the room, leaving you no chance. But on many occasions, it will take so many meetings to get a single investor to commit at the end."

  • "Don’t give up, gain clarity of vision, speed of execution and show them who’s the boss!"

Good Copy Make Users Want to Hangout with Your Brand

Why Read (5-7 minutes):

• A startup founder should read the article to understand how effective copywriting drives customer engagement and conversions, transcending beyond mere words to crafting compelling brand stories.

Author:

• Kevan Lee, Co-Founder at Bonfire

Link: 

•  “The Art of Copywriting Meets the Aim of Conversion”

Key Concepts and Tactics:

• Significance of Copywriting in Business:

  • "The Copy Book convinced me that everyone in business should study the art of copywriting."

  • "I remain as bullish as ever on the power of copywriting, particularly in the context of storytelling."

• Copywriting's Role in Conversion:

  • "To bridge the divide between copywriting’s true believers (me) and their less-than-enthusiastic peers (honestly, a lot of folks in leadership), I’ve found that the crux of the conversation is around conversion. If copy helps things convert better, then everyone should be a fan, right?"

• Common Misconceptions About Conversion Copywriting:

  • "Conversion copywriting is not: A quest for THE magic phrase that will resonate with every single reader, visitor, customer."

  • "A rote restating of your company’s internal product positioning or mission statement. These statements belong internally for a reason; they mostly make sense to insiders."

• The Real Job of Copy:

  • "One of the first things a copywriter is likely to ask is, 'What is the job of this copy?' be it for a homepage, an email, a social post, etc. At the risk of oversimplifying things, I believe copy’s goal boils down to this: All copy is designed to elicit a reaction."

• Expanding the Definition of Conversion in Copywriting:

  • "If we’re going to be talking about conversion copywriting, then we need to expand our definition of conversion."

  • "It can’t simply be about signups. It must be about storytelling, about intrigue, about authenticity. It must be about the reader’s experience."

• Copywriting as an Experience:

  • "Truly great copywriting is much more about the experience. We write to welcome people in. We write to tell better stories."

  • "And in creating these experiences, we make our products and our brands into places that people want to hang out and learn more."

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