How to Work With Venture Capitalists: Get More Than Money From VCs | D'Arcy Martin

Your VCs have hidden value beyond capital. Most founders never ask for it. D'Arcy Martin from Outward VC reveals what you're missing.

🎯 The hidden value you're missing:
• LP networks: Your VCs' investors could be your biggest clients
• Portfolio partnerships: Other founders solving the same problems
• Co-investor expertise: Each VC has different specialisms – use them
• Sector knowledge: VCs had to prove their edge to raise their own funds
• Reference checking: How to vet your VCs before signing (and why they welcome it)
• The Christmas list: What to ask for right now

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 - From art history to VC platform (the unexpected path)
3:00 - What founders miss beyond capital
6:00 - How to squeeze the juice from your VCs
9:00 - Reference-checking your investors (and why it's a positive sign)
12:00 - Building your dream funding round: Which VCs to choose
15:00 - VCs are startups too: What that means for you
17:00 - Why performance goes hand in hand with value add
19:00 - The hidden portfolio ecosystem most founders ignore
22:00 - Why some founders get way more attention
25:00 - How being proactive changes everything
28:00 - The reverse pitch: VCs selling to you
31:00 - Your Christmas list: Ask for this right now

💡 The real story:
One founder sat down with D'Arcy for a catch-up. Shared they were selling to similar customers as another portfolio company. D'Arcy connected them. Today they're doing a joint partnership and it's one of their first enterprise clients in the US.

👤 About D'Arcy Martin
Head of Platform at Outward VC. Six years building the fund from first close to second fund. Her job? Connecting dots most founders don't know exist.
Connect:   / d-arcy-jade-martin-b08b2a74  

🎙️ About Peer Effect Podcast
Hosted by founder coach James Johnson. Real frameworks from real founders who've scaled successfully.

🔗 Links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0U3ebhi...
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast...
Website: https://peer-effect.com/
LinkedIn:   / the-peer-effect  
James on LinkedIn:   / jameswgjohnson  

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