Why your warm intros keep going nowhere

One founder I know spent six months cold emailing investors.

Got one meeting. No follow-ups.

Then he asked his corporate lawyer for an intro. Three meetings in one week. Term sheet in 30 days.

The people closest to investors aren't who you think they are.

Unfortunately, most founders ask their uncle, their college roommate, and random LinkedIn connections for investor intros.

Those people don't know real investors. And even if they do, their endorsement carries zero weight.

Why Your Intro Strategy Is Failing

The reasons nobody's connecting you to capital:

• You're asking people who've never raised money themselves
• You think any connection to money counts as a warm intro
• You ignore the professionals who live in investor circles
• You waste intros from good connectors with a half-baked pitch
• You don't realize your customers might have more pull than your friends

Sound familiar?

The best intro sources are hiding in plain sight. Most founders just don't know where to look.

Let me show you exactly who to ask and why they matter.

Step 1: Hit Up Founders Who've Already Won

Your buddy who's "thinking about starting something" can't help you.

The founder who just closed a Series B? That person is gold.

Target successful founders in your space or adjacent markets:

• They've pitched 50+ investors in the past year
• They know who actually writes checks vs who just takes meetings
• They can vouch for you because they understand your business
• Their word carries weight (investors trust founder referrals)

You have no idea what kind of inside baseball you can get from tapped-in founders. One founder friend:

Yeah, I pitched the guys at [mega-VC fund whose name you’d recognize]. They’re weird. I won’t send any of my friends there.

But don't ask random successful founders you've never met.

Find founders one or two stages ahead of you. Same industry. Similar business model.

A SaaS founder I worked with reached out to five B2B founders (actually in his existing network) who'd raised Series A in the past 18 months. Three responded. Two made intros.

He had four investor meetings in two weeks. All quality.

Step 2: Your Lawyer and Accountant Could Know Everybody

Nobody talks about this enough.

The good startup lawyers work with dozens of companies raising capital every quarter:

• They review term sheets from every major firm
• They know which investors are actively deploying… because they worked on a deal last week
• They attend the same events and conferences as VCs
• Investors - generally large ones - are often their clients
• Investors ask them for deal flow constantly

Ask your lawyer. Seriously. If you're working with a startup-focused firm, they have a Rolodex you need.

Disclaimer: Some are better than others. Medium-sized firms with heavy presence in major startup markets (Bay Area, Austin, Boston) are great. It also varies from attorney to attorney.

Same goes for accountants, especially boutique firms specialized in your industry.

They prepare financials for companies raising rounds. They know who's funding what. They know who's easy to work with and who's a nightmare.

One founder asked his accounting firm for intros. The partner connected him to three investors who'd funded their other clients.

He closed $2M in six weeks.

I’ve seen this happen multiple times.

Step 3: Find the Industry Old Heads

Every industry has connectors.

These are the people who've been around forever. They know everyone. They know the face, they know the names. They go to every conference. You might not know it, but they probably mentor young founders, too.

Where to find them:

• Industry associations and trade groups
• Accelerator mentors and advisors
• Conference speakers and panelists
• LinkedIn thought leaders who actually engage
• Retired executives who stay active in the ecosystem

They're not necessarily investors themselves (although some are). But more importantly, they’ve been around longer, and they most likely know every investor in your space who’s willing to write a check.

And they love helping founders who have their act together.

One founder joined an industry Slack group. Started contributing value. Built relationships with three "old heads" over two months.

One intro led to his lead investor. Another joined his advisory board.

But here's the critical part: Your pitch better be perfect before you ask.

These people guard their reputations. They won't forward a sloppy deck or introduce a founder who can't tell a coherent story.

One bad intro burns the relationship forever.

Step 4: Your Customers and Partners Have More Pull Than You Think

You're selling to enterprise clients. Those clients have venture arms or investment committees.

You're working with distribution partners. Those partners know every investor in the space.

Who can actually open doors:

• Enterprise customers (especially if you're solving their pain)
• Distribution partners with industry connections
• Influencers or thought leaders who use your product
• Strategic partners who benefit from your success

They have skin in the game. They want you to succeed. Their intro carries weight because it comes with implied validation.

A B2B founder asked his biggest customer for an intro. The VP connected him to their corporate VC arm.

Term sheet a few months later.

What you absolutely must remember: A warm intro is only as good as the person making it.

Random connections mean nothing. Strategic relationships mean everything.

Target founders who've been there. Tap your lawyers and accountants. Find the industry connectors. Leverage your customers and partners.

But don't waste a single intro with a weak pitch. These people won't give you a second chance.

Get it right the first time. You’ve only got one shot.‍