What this teaches
Suster's most famous mental model: every founder-investor interaction is a dot, and investors gain conviction from the line those dots draw over time. Argues founders should meet investors months before raising and show progress against stated plans.
Why it matters
Reframes fundraising from a one-shot pitch into a relationship built on demonstrated execution.
Key lessons
- Meet investors before you're raising and tell them you're not raising yet
- Show up later having done what you said you'd do: that line is your pitch
- Investors who only have one data point rarely commit
Notable quotes
“Investors are writing checks for dots.”Mark Suster, Both Sides of the TableRead the original Invest in Lines, Not Dots Mark Suster · bothsidesofthetable.com UV Investor on VCMatch
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