Quick VC pitch tip #4

by Healy Jones

Here is another almost meaningless pointer for an entrepreneur about to pitch a startup to a venture capitalist:

VC Pitch Tip #4 - You don't need to wear a tie to meet with an early stage venture capitalist.

In Palo Alto or Boston you don't need to wear a tie if you are presenting to an early stage technology venture capitalist.

If you do wear a suit and a tie, I'm pretty sure that the VC's first thought is that you are… well, hmm. How do I say this nicely. A bit of a dinosaur? We usually groan when we go into a meeting and the management team is wearing suits and ties.

I'm not suggesting you dress like an idiot or anything, but I'm just saying that you are better off in khakis and a shirt than an average suit and tie if you are pitching early stage investors. (Per Prasad's comment below, there is nothing wrong with a sports jacket!)

Although, as an aside, there was one entrepreneur who wore such a crazy suit it was actually a positive. The guy was clearly a propeller-head, but quite backable. His suit only added to the charm. I'm trying to think of how to describe it, sort of retro with a funny skinny tie. Not like an expensive Prada suit or anything, but something quirky like you'd expect a guy who had made a nice chunk of money selling an algorithm in his early 20's would have - which is exactly who the guy was. And I guess European management teams sometimes pull off the suit, and sometimes the flashy media-types from NYC or LA can get away with their giant pink ties. But for the rest of us...... a suit and tie is just not a great idea.

This tip may not hold for startups meeting with VCs in other parts of the country - I just don't have any experience away from Sand Hill or Winter Street, so I don't know.

I guess the real tip here is: if you are not certain what to wear, you can ask. Since most VCs probably have an executive assistant who helps arrange the meetings, you can easily ask this person without embarrassing yourself as you are setting up the meeting. Or, you can call the general number and anomalously ask what most teams wear when the present to the venture fund.

And, ok, I'm not a real fashion buff myself. (Below is the picture to prove it...... my wife hates this shirt.) But since you are selling yourself when you meet with Vcs you ought to try to look the part.