The One Thing Investors Look for Before Writing a Check
The #1 Thing Investors Look for Before Writing a Check | Family Office Club Panel
Founders and capital raisers who want to hear what different investors weigh most when deciding whether to back a person or company.
What stood out
- Passion drives tenacity. One investor picked passion and dedication to the problem being solved. The reasoning is that founders must get through tough times, and passion keeps them going when the venture capital market is tight.
- Systems carry a company forward. One panelist described a Viking phase, where grit and outbound effort are enough. In this panelist's view, a company that cannot move to the gladiator stage, which needs systems, is unlikely to survive no matter how good the founder is.
- Community can signal strength. One speaker chose community as a key factor, aside from market cap. As examples, they cited XRP followers on X and the Doge memecoin, which the speaker said has no revenue and a market cap of about $30 billion.
- Match people to roles with tools. One panelist said their team used to hire for passion and gut. They now use Culture Index personality testing to match people to each position and report good results in a service-based business.
- Test the track record directly. Instead of trusting a good pitch, one investor asks founders to walk through their record of success. They ask specifically how emotional intelligence and grit played a role in each win.
What this talk covers
Panelists at a Family Office Club event were asked for the one factor that would make them say yes to an investment. The answers differed. One investor chose passion and dedication, tied to the tenacity needed when the venture capital market is tight. Another chose systems, using a three-phase view of entrepreneurship. A third chose community, pointing to XRP followers and the Doge memecoin.
A fourth speaker said the team now uses Culture Index, a personality tool, to match people to roles. They report success with it in a service-based business. The final answer was a track record of success. That speaker draws a line on paper and asks the founder to walk through past wins and how emotional intelligence and grit played a role in each one.
On the record
- One panelist described three phases in entrepreneurship, starting with a Viking phase and moving to a gladiator stage that requires systems.
- A speaker cited the Doge memecoin as having no revenue and a market cap of about $30 billion, supported by a very committed community.
- One team uses Culture Index personality testing to match people to each position in the organization.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: The #1 Thing Investors Look for Before Writing a Check | Family Office Club Panel. 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.
Worth quoting
"Without systems, you cannot build a billion dollar company, period."
"If you can't move from the Viking stage to what I think of as the gladiator stage, you're done."
"the person that you want to bet on has that consistent and compelling track record of success."
Related questions
- Why do investors say maybe instead of a clear no?A maybe is the easiest answer for a busy investor to give.
- 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 did the panel say investors look for most?
There was no single answer. Panelists named passion, systems, community, and a track record of success combined with emotional intelligence and grit.
Why did one investor choose passion?
They said founders have to get through tough times, especially with a tight venture capital market. Passion is what drives them to keep going and leads to fundraising.
How does one panelist test a founder's track record?
They draw a line on paper and ask the founder to walk through their record of success. They ask how emotional intelligence and grit played a role in each one.
Put this into practice with the investor meeting follow-up checklist. See all investor psychology and trust resources.
