What to expect on VC intro calls

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #45 of VC Demystified🪄.

My name’s Nicole - I’m a Principal at an early stage venture fund, and I know firsthand that VC can often be a black box. Breaking into the industry may feel daunting and resources can seem scarce and inaccessible. I wanted to put together a newsletter to give others the playbook I wish I had when I first started.

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Today’s deep dive: The usual topics covered on a fundraisng intro call with a VC

^{My personal mission is to open as many doors as possible for other people and this newsletter is just one avenue to do that. As always, I will continue to post VC insights daily for free across my socials.}

The usual topics covered on a fundraisng intro call with a VC

For founders raising capital, the intro call with a venture capitalist is often the first real test.

Unlike later stage diligence meetings, the intro call is less about diving deep into your business operations and more about giving investors a high-level view of your startup, your traction, and why you’re the right founder to solve the problem.

These calls are typically short (30 minutes). The goal isn’t to close the deal but to spark enough interest for a follow-up.

In practice, that means avoiding the urge to oversell or dive too deep into the details too soon.

Instead, focus on telling a clear, compelling story that hits on some key themes:

• Why this problem matters

• Why your solution is the best way to solve it

• How this scales if things go right

• Why you’re the right person to make it happen

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect on a VC intro call, how to prepare, and what to say to make sure you get to the next meeting.

1. Your Background + Why You

Most intro calls start with a simple question: “Tell me about yourself.”

• Your background – Focus on your professional history, any past startups, and roles that directly connect to what you’re building.

• Why you’re the right founder – Highlight relevant skills, domain expertise, or a personal story that led you to this problem. Utilize the BINCS framework to help here.

Keep this part concise (2-3 minutes is plenty). The goal is to establish credibility early.

2. The Problem You’re Solving

Investors need to be convinced that you’re solving a real, urgent problem.

• What the problem is – Use clear, specific language.

• Who has this problem – Define your target customer. Be specific!

• Why existing solutions fall short – A strong answer here can set you apart. Know your market!

This section should paint a picture of a large and painful enough problem to justify a venture-scale business.

3. Product Overview

After outlining the problem, shift to how your product solves it.

• What your product does – Skip the technical jargon; keep it simple and outcomes-focused (for now).

• How it’s different – Explain your unique advantage, whether it’s technology, design, data or a proprietary process.

• Key features, not every feature – Highlight what makes your product compelling to early users. Talk about your “hero” feature.

The goal is to help investors visualize what you’re building without getting bogged down in detail.

4. Traction

Investors use traction as a proxy for product-market fit. The more specific you are, the better.

• Current metrics – Revenue, user growth, retention rates, or other relevant KPIs.

• Milestones hit – Early customer wins, pilot results, or notable partnerships.

• Momentum – Month-over-month growth rates or any inflection points that signal acceleration.

If you’re pre-revenue, focus on engagement metrics, waitlist numbers, or other signs of demand. You want to prove to the investor that there is market pull.

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