Networking and investor events
How to Do Due Diligence on an Investor Conference or Club
Investor Conference & Club Due Diligence: 7 Areas to Investigate
Founders, fund managers and investors deciding which investment conferences, clubs or founder communities deserve their time and travel.
What you will hear
Richard C. Wilson of Family Office Club explains how to vet an investment conference or investor club before spending time on it. He starts with the team, since many events run on one to three people plus volunteers. He also warns that pages listing past speakers can hide a thin lineup for the event that is actually coming up.
He then turns to the agenda. A conference may list 75 speakers, but with two to four streams running at once, an attendee may see only about 25 of them, and many are service providers or sponsors. He closes with track record and thought leadership, such as books, blog posts and YouTube videos, and asks whether the host's values match yours.
- 1Check team size
- 2Compare past and current speakers
- 3Count parallel streams
- 4Separate investors from sellers
- 5Review host track record
- 6Test thought leadership and values
Five points worth keeping
- Ask who is on the team. Many investor events are run by one to three people with volunteers. Richard suggests asking how big the team is, because a small team can mean uneven quality from event to event.
- Separate past speakers from current ones. Some organizers show a long list of past speakers, even one from 19 years ago. Ask how many speakers are confirmed for the event you would attend, since that lineup may be much smaller.
- Check who is on stage. Ask whether each speaker is there to sell something or to teach. Richard looks for real investors, family offices, peers and possible partners for joint ventures or co-GP deals.
- Count the parallel streams. An event with 75 speakers and three streams means you miss much of the content. Even a very attentive attendee might see only about 25 speakers, and many of those may be sponsors or service providers.
- Judge track record and values. Look at how many events the host has run and for how many years. Read their books and blog posts and watch five random videos to see if the ideas hold your attention and fit your values.
In their words
"Think to yourself, is this person going on stage to sell me something, or is this an amazing speaker I'm going to learn a lot from?."
"It doesn't matter what they're charging. You're really investing your time in being there. That's the most expensive thing for any successful founder."
"Out of those 75 speakers, even if you're sitting there listening attentively like a good student investment conference attendee, you're missing most of the content."
On the record
- Richard C. Wilson has spoken at over 200 events in 17 countries and Family Office Club has hosted about 300 events.
- Richard scripts all 16 discussion panels at the large Family Office Club investor summits.
- Family Office Club has over 1,000 YouTube videos, and Richard suggests watching five random ones to judge the content.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: Investor Conference & Club Due Diligence: 7 Areas to Investigate. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Related questions
- Which investor conferences are worth attending for fundraising?The conferences worth your time have real investors on stage, a team that has run many events, and plenty of time to meet people in person.
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
Questions about this video
What is the first thing to check about an investor conference?
Richard says to look at who is on the team and ask how big it is. Many events are run by one to three people with volunteers, which can make quality inconsistent.
Why do multiple streams matter at an investment conference?
With two to four streams running at once, you miss the talks in the other rooms. In Richard's example, an event with 75 speakers might mean an attendee sees only about 25 of them on stage.
How can you judge whether an organizer's content is worth your time?
Look for books, blog posts and YouTube videos from the host. Richard suggests watching five random videos to see if they make you want to learn more or sound like something you have heard before.
Put this into practice with the waterfall calculator. See all networking and investor events resources.
