Building a VC Fund - Part 5
it's so much more than this but at least I'm documenting this slightly :)
Momentum is building and so are the obstacles.
Defining the voice of a new brand is a silly task. I don’t know what this is yet.
What’s the CTA here?
Why would someone want to subscribe here at all?
What’s the benefit?
I was listening to a recent episode of Paperboy Ventures talking with the founders of Orka and they spoke about their marketing and engagement strategy and how their voice wasn’t defined and they just tried new and weird things in order to get attention and it worked. I’m not going to send people photos of my belly buttons in exchange for a subscription but the motive behind the concept makes sense.
So here is my weird attempt and trying to define the voice… while I wait to build my THIRSTY FRIENDS HOTLINE out, here is my personal cell phone number. Text me or call me with questions about brands or if you’re interested in joining the group.
(989) 327-4007
It’s really my number :)
Control Over Speed: Building Thirsty Friends the Right Way
We’re at an inflection point with Thirsty Friends
Right now we have 22 committed members in our syndicate. Our target is 50 so we can start making real investments in the brands we’re genuinely excited about. I’ve got another 10 people sitting on invitations who just need to click a few buttons to join us. So we’re realistically hovering around 30 members.
That means I need 20 more. You ready?
The pressure to move faster is real. Every day I wake up thinking about how to accelerate this growth. But then I catch myself falling into the same trap I warn others about.
Here’s what I tell my kids. What I’ve told every athlete I’ve coached, whether it’s soccer, basketball, or track. It’s a simple phrase that cuts through all the noise:
It’s not about speed. It’s about control.
Once you have control, then you can accelerate. But if you just try to do things fast without building them properly, you won’t have control at all. And it will probably just break.
I’m not here to break anything. I’m here to build.
So I’m rooting myself back into this mantra: control first, speed second. The pace I’m operating at is the right pace. It’s a day-to-day grind, and there are parts of this process I simply don’t control:
Legal documents that need to be finalized
Pitch decks that still need review
Brand conversations that take time to develop
I could rush to the small group we have now and put together a quick deal. We could probably deploy some capital. But that’s not how I want to operate.
I want a group of dedicated investors who are excited to write checks. Then I’ll bring them a handful of carefully selected deals. If people get excited about specific opportunities, they can write checks into those SPVs.
That’s how we’re going to operate. That’s how we’re going to be impactful.
I’m managing this from above, making sure I follow the right pace and do all the things properly so we can get to that point where we’re making a real difference.
The lesson here? Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is slow down, take a step back, and make sure you’re building something that lasts.
Control over speed. Every time.
Me, when I speak to the next 20 people that join THIRSTY FRIENDS
If you’re interested, for real, text me at the number above or go to the site and read more:
https://www.thirstyfriends.com/
Sweet!