Internal Communication

• Slack rules

• Meeting rules

External Communication

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General Guidelines

• Tone (i.e., How we speak): Use respectful language. We avoid terms like “bets,” favoring “investments” or other professional terminology.
• Respectful Messaging (i.e., What we say to whom): Refrain from speaking negatively about founders, investors, or other stakeholders. We take pride in lifting others up.
• Confidentiality (i.e., How we become trusted): Maintain confidentiality with sensitive information, whether discussing portfolio companies or internal strategies. Trust is earned through discretion. </aside>

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Board Meetings

Core principles

→ Integrity, engagement, expertise, resourcefulness, help founders prioritise

Do’s & Don’ts

Board meetings shape our reputation with founders and fellow investors. VC is a reputation game and the ONE place where most founders and investors build up a view of who we are as a fund is inside the board room. If we're not great board members, it will very quickly destroy our reputation as a fund and drastically reduce our opportunities to source and win the best investments. To maintain professionalism and impact, you should always:

• Always assume that founders already have thought of (and potentially analysed) the point you want to make, before you make the point.

  • Behavior: Ask questions instead of making statements

• Never speak for the sake of speaking. Be conscious about the fact that every minute of the meeting should be valuable and it's not your job to waste it.

  • Behavior: Only speak when you can add value

• If you notice that you can't add any value in a board meeting, then do something about it. Prepare better, invite a Collective member, read up on the topic discussed, or consider your role in the board. You don't need to be good at everything, but you need to add value on something.

  • Behavior: Calibrate your capability match continuously and take pro-active action if needed

• Presence is table stakes. It's very rude to do other things such as e-mailing while in a meeting.

  • Behavior (if in-person): Take notes on paper and tuck away your phone.
  • Behavior (if online): Look into the camera & use Supernormal for note-taking.

• Ensure that 1+1=3. If you're both a board member & observer in a board (preferably with Collective member), ensure to align before the meeting and dive & conquer the work.

  • Behavior: Prepare for the meeting together with the observer & divide the work

  Best Practices

  1. Build personal "board learning" notes (share in #bestboardmember channel if possible)
  2. Identify your strengths and focus on them in all boards
  3. Try to avoid back-channel discussions during board meetings
  4. Observer and member duo should work together as one, please remind yourself to:
     1. Go through the material together and are aligned on opinions
     2. Agree and show up as a united front
  5. Be transparent if you’re using note-taking apps (case: supernormal)
  6. Continuously revisit whether we’re on the right boards
  7. Personalise your support based on what the company really needs (on-site, weekly help, etc.)
  8. Set clear expectations to founders in terms of what a board meeting is and what VCs want to see
  9. Always be constructive, avoid showing disappointment

<aside> 🚨 Confidentiality: Be thoughtful and careful about what information you share about portfolio companies, deal flow, and beyond. Maintain integrity & honesty.

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