Building relationships within the startup and VC community is key to raising a successful round in the future. Relationships aren't supposed to be transactional, they are built over time mutually.

Listen to hear what they look for in a pitch and what to avoid. Hint - brevity is your friend ;)

Investor updates can help you build relationships with VCs who aren't investors, yet.

Being vulnerable and staying true to yourself will help you find the investors that really want you.

Showing a VC how they may need your startup's services can be the most convincing way to convey that there is a need for your product.

When you're just starting, all you have is your team. VCs emphasize team experience the most when reviewing decks.

Calling to set up a meeting can be the most efficient way of outreach.

Incrementally send your decks to VCs so you can constantly improve it, rather than sending it to every VC all at once.

Being genuine when sharing your risks with investors builds real trust rather than creating false trust with hype.

Sharing all your data from the start will save you time and help you filter the VCs that are genuinely interested.