Podcasts are an invaluable PR tool for startup founders and investors alike. By providing a platform to showcase a speaker's thought leadership, they increase visibility and help facilitate connections with startups, fellow investors, and LPs.
At Mindset Consulting, we are working with VC funds like Flint Capital, Taver Capital, and Raw Ventures, as well as with angel investors. As part of our comprehensive PR approach, we have helped them secure placements on podcasts that align with their business objectives, and we've seen strong success. Our clients have been featured on high-profile shows like TechCrunch Live, Startup Savant, VC10X — where our client Victoria Palatnik, from Raw Ventures, recently had an insightful discussion — and others.
In this column, we'll share some of our favorite strategies to effectively position investors for podcast success.
What to do when pitching an investor to a podcast show
#1: Build a warm connection between the podcast host and the participating investor
Engage with potential hosts on social media
Before you send your pitch, you can do some leg work to boost your chances that your email will be noticed. First, we recommend that your client, the investor, follows the hosts on LinkedIn and Twitter and engages with their content. Thoughtful comments matter more than likes.
Second, make sure your speaker’s expertise is clearly specified on their LinkedIn page. Once they look at their post engagements, if they see it aligns with their interests and the show’s objectives, you may get an inbound invite to become a guest. For example, our client Mikhail Taver, founder and managing partner of Taver Capital, invests in industrial AI. He often writes about it on LinkedIn, and this helped us get him featured in the Manufacturing Talks podcast where he shared more thoughts on the topic.
Finally, remember the familiarity effect. Commenting on a host’s posts on social media will likely result in them remembering your last name, bolstering your chances of getting an email response.
Secure a warm introduction
As we often say, LinkedIn is a fantastic extensive address book. Hence, we recommend leveraging it to find mutual connections between the host and the investor you’d like to get featured. Once you find them, ask for an introduction.
Invite the host for a coffee (even if it is virtual)
Many podcast hosts are investors or entrepreneurs themselves. Therefore, by setting up some time to get acquainted before the actual interview, you increase the chances that there will be some rapport built up behind the scenes. This will likely help the interview go smoothly.
#2: Think about who your speaker might share the stage with for a more impactful participation
As mentioned, a lot of great podcasts are targeted towards entrepreneurs and are more prone to feature founders instead of investors. Yet, you might still believe that their audience is a good fit for your speaker.
In this case, think outside the box. What if your investor could share the stage with the founder of one of their portfolio companies? This is what we did to help Sergey Gribov, Partner at VC fund Flint Capital, get featured on TechCrunch Live. Gribov shared the stage with Romi Gubes, CEO of Sensi.AI, one of Flint’s portfolio companies, for an insightful discussion on the impact of AI on healthcare.
#3: Be thoughtful, and let the host know you listen to their podcast through small details
From our experience, sometimes it is better to go straight to the point, and avoid typical intros like “I’ve listened to your episode XYZ and I like it.” We prefer this approach if our speaker’s expertise is not directly aligned with the podcast’s objectives.
Here, again, it pays off to be creative — the magic is in the details. For example, once, we noticed that a show host often calls their audience “pilgrims.” So, we closed our pitch with the line, “he’d be happy to reflect on for the Pilgrims.” This let the host know we were aware of the show, and helped us secure our speaker’s appearance.
#4: Add a distinctive twist to your story
Linear storylines with no obstacles embedded can be boring. We recommend finding a challenge that your speaker overcame, or something he achieved by following an unconventional strategy.
This was the case for Flint Capital. The firm recently raised an opportunity fund — something that many conventional VCs reject. To top things up, they did so in an uncanny way, raising capital from founders of former portfolio companies instead of institutional investors. This unusual angle was critical to attract attention, since it is not something every investor has done.
#5: Prepare an investor prior to their recording
This step is of particular importance if it is the first time that your speaker is participating in a podcast. Do not take anything for granted, and ensure they are aware of all the technical requirements and visuals — in case the podcast includes video — as well as of the topics that will be discussed.
Also, prepare key data and statistics so that the dialogue is constructive and evidence-based. It also helps to be proactive and think in advance about responses to potential questions that might come up, especially regarding topics related to current market trends.
Preparation also encompasses going through specifics of names, cases, and companies that might be discussed. We’ve heard countless episodes featuring guests who say, “In one company,” or, “I don’t remember the name.” This is highly unprofessional.
Finally, become familiar with the podcast’s target audience and the host’s style. At Mindset, we always prepare a brief for our clients that includes key data and everything we know about the host.
7 podcasts to pitch an investor to
Turpentine VC: Hosted by venture capitalist Erik Torenberg, this podcast has featured VC luminaries like Ben Horowitz and Alfred Lin. It features conversations about building successful VC firms, covering topics like investment theses and complex decision-making.
20VC: 20VC is a company located at the intersection of venture capital and media, and its podcast, hosted by Harry Stebbings, has featured some of the most successful entrepreneurs including Sam Altman from OpenAI and Reid Hoffman, who started LinkedIn and then became a venture capitalist.
Understanding VC: Rahul Thayyalamkandy is the host of Understanding VC, which was conceived with the mission of helping founders understand the venture capital landscape and make informed, funding-related decisions about their businesses. Topics range from corporate venture capital to building strong founder-VC relations.
Making Billions: In this podcast, Ryan Miller, CEO of Pentium Capital Partners, has insightful conversations with some of the leading VC and alternative investment funds, with the intention of identifying patterns that lead to massive success.
Life Self Mastery: Host Rohit Malhotra features interviews with successful founders, who share their journeys and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. He also covers topics like AI and how startups can navigate the exit process.
VC10X: Some of the world’s leading VCs, founders, and asset managers talk with host Prashant Choubey about fundraising, money management, and making successful deals in the angel/venture investment landscape.
EU VC: If you are located in Europe, this show hosted by David Cruz e Silva and Andreas Munk Holm could be a great outlet to feature investors. This podcast showcases some of the people shaping the European VC landscape and provides invaluable insights into the industry.
Summary
Joining a podcast as a guest can highly raise an investors’ profile and position them as a thought leader. This can be a solid PR strategy to bolster their chances of meeting high-potential founders, LPs, and other strategic partners.
Having said this, before you start pitching an investor as a potential interviewee, it is critical to do the necessary leg work and identify those podcasts that are likely to be a better fit. By building warm relationships with prospective hosts, crafting a compelling storyline, and finally, preparing your speaker for the show, you can boost the odds that their appearance is a complete success.
