Building Trust In Investments

It's Time for Public Companies to Take Retail Investors Seriously For decades, investor relations departments have focused almost exclusively on institutional investors including hedge funds, mutual funds, and asset managers. But the landscape has fundamentally changed, and most public companies are still operating with an outdated playbook. The retail revolution is real. Zero-commission trading, fractional shares, and accessible investing platforms have democratized the market. Retail investors now account for 30-40% of daily trading volume on major exchanges. For small and mid-cap companies, that number is often much higher, sometimes exceeding 70% of trading activity. Yet when earnings calls happen, retail investors are shut out. When strategic decisions are announced, the explanations are crafted for analysts at Goldman Sachs, not for the thousands of individual shareholders who collectively own a significant stake in the company. Here's why this matters: Liquidity and valuation: Retail investors provide consistent liquidity, especially for companies outside the mega-cap universe. Engaged retail shareholders can support more stable trading patterns and valuations. Long-term alignment: Despite stereotypes about day-trading, many retail investors are buy-and-hold shareholders who believe in the company's mission. They're often customers, employees, or community members with genuine skin in the game. Brand advocacy: Retail shareholders become brand ambassadors. They talk about your company at dinner parties, defend you on social media, and recommend your products. This intangible value is impossible to quantify. Access to capital: In an era of direct listings, SPACs, and democratized capital formation, engaging retail can open new funding pathways beyond traditional institutional rounds. What should Investor Relations do? Take these steps? -Make earnings calls and investor presentations accessible to all shareholders, not just institutional gatekeepers -Communicate in plain language, not just Wall Street jargon -Create channels for retail shareholder feedback and questions OR implement AI Agents to automate these tasks making engagement easier and increasing transparency. The issuers and their IR departments that adopt AI early will benefit from better transparency which will lead to higher valuations. The rest will continue to wonder why their IR efforts generate so little enthusiasm and little to NO ROI. The power dynamic has shifted. It's time for public companies to shift with it. “Don’t fear the REAPer” -Blue Oyster Cult #InvestorRelations #RetailInvesting #PublicCompanies #CorporateGovernance #CapitalMarkets

Most founders don't have a fundraising problem. They have an investor-relations problem. After reviewing 200+ pitches this year, I see the same four patterns killing deals before they start: 🚩 One email and done. You fire off a cold LinkedIn message, get silence, and assume "they're not interested." Reality check: I get 50+ messages a week. Sometimes your timing just sucks. Sometimes I'm traveling. Sometimes I'm deep in due diligence on another deal. If you give up that fast with investors, what does that say about how you'll sell to enterprise customers who take 6 months to decide? 🚩 Taking "no" as a verdict, not data. You'll likely get 99 no's for every yes. That's the math. The question is: Did you improve your story, numbers, and deck after each no? Or did you just feel insulted and move on? Every pass I give includes a reason. "Too early." "Market's too crowded." "Unit economics don't work yet." Those aren't insults. They're facts to examine. The founders who succeed treat every rejection like user feedback. They iterate. They come back stronger. The ones who fail treat rejection like judgment. 🚩 Disappearing after the pass. "I like you, but not yet" is not a brush-off. It's an opening. Last month, I reopened conversations with a founder I passed on twice. Why? Because she sent me quarterly updates for 18 months. Short emails. Three bullets. Key metrics. By the third update, her ARR had tripled. Her churn dropped 40%. Her story got sharper. Most founders vanish after hearing "no." They treat investors like failed ATMs instead of future allies. The smart ones stay visible. Send progress updates. Ask specific questions. Build trust before they need the check. 🚩 Trying to raise without a network. You ignore pitch events, warm intros, and LinkedIn until you "need money." Then you panic and spray cold emails everywhere. Your real goal: Build enough relationships that most intros are warm, not cold. The last five checks I wrote came from warm intros in my network.   Relationships compound. Start building them before you need them. Early-stage investing is relationships, trust, and gut-feel layered on top of the numbers. Your deck might be perfect. Your metrics might be solid. But if you can't manage basic investor relations, you're telling me something about how you'll handle everything else. Customer relationships. Team dynamics. Board management. It's all the same skill: staying engaged when things don't go your way. The founders who win understand this: Fundraising isn't a transaction. It's a relationship game played over years, not weeks. The best time to build investor relationships? When you don't need the money. The second best time? Right now. Which of these four habits do you need to fix first? Come for the posts, stay for the comments.

📈 Groww & PW (PhysicsWallah) IPOs: Strong Listings That Surprised the Market The recent IPO listings of Groww and PW (PhysicsWallah) have sent a clear message to the market: strong fundamentals beat speculative hype—every time. Both companies not only listed well but also defied their Grey Market Premium (GMP), delivering significantly better returns than what the unofficial market had predicted. 🌟 What Worked for Groww? Groww’s journey from a simple investing app to one of India’s most trusted retail investment platforms is nothing short of inspiring. Key drivers behind the robust listing: • Trusted Brand in the Retail Space: Massive user base with high engagement. • Strong Revenue Growth: Steady rise in assets under management. • Clear Path to Profitability: Investors rewarded the company’s disciplined cost structure. • Shift in Retail Investor Behavior: More young Indians now prefer self-driven investing. Even though the GMP was conservative, the fundamentals and investor trust pushed the stock much higher on listing day. 🌟 Why Did PW (PhysicsWallah) Outperform? Physics Wallah continues to prove that high-quality, affordable education can scale profitably. Factors that drove the strong debut: • Highly Loyal Community: A core audience that follows, trusts, and advocates the brand. • Strong Unit Economics: Unlike most ed-tech peers, PW has consistently shown profitability. • Hybrid Expansion: The offline + online model boosted investor confidence. • Cost Efficiency: They built a business that grows without burning cash. Here too, the GMP failed to capture the real market sentiment, especially the trust and goodwill the brand enjoys nationwide. 📉 Why Did Both IPOs Defy the Grey Market Premium (GMP)? Because GMP often captures noise, not value. GMP went wrong due to: • Underestimation of brand trust and customer loyalty • Over-reliance on “market mood” instead of company fundamentals • Inability to price in long-term visibility and profitability • Higher institutional demand emerging late in the bidding cycle GMP is speculative, unofficial, and frequently emotional — but market listing is where fundamentals speak. And that’s exactly what happened here. 📌 Final Thought Groww and Physics Wallah have proven that the Indian market rewards real businesses, not just narratives. Both IPOs stand as a reminder that while GMP may set expectations, execution, profitability, and trust decide the real outcome. #PhysicsWallah #Groww #MarketDebut #IPO #GreyMarketPremium #SmartInvesting

Entrepreneurs often believe fundraising starts with a pitch deck. But the truth? Fundraising starts long before the investor meeting in the quiet weeks when nobody is watching. The market rewards founders who don’t announce goals, they demonstrate progress. ▪️Revenue moving in one direction ▪️CAC/Payback clarity instead of “TAM dreams” ▪️Customer velocity > headline logos ▪️Consistent updates vs. sporadic momentum ▪️Proof before proclamation Trust isn’t built in a single moment, it’s built in a pattern. And once that pattern becomes visible? Capital doesn’t need convincing. It follows conviction. In every cycle, founders fall into two groups: Group 1: Pitch first → scramble for proof → burn trust Group 2: Build proof → let consistency speak → raise on strength 2026 will widen the gap. This cycle isn’t rewarding the “best storytellers” it’s rewarding the sharpest executors. At Matrix Venture Studio ™️, our bridge-building philosophy is simple: ▪️Help founders create real signals ▪️Shape narrative around proof, not promise ▪️Earn investor trust through momentum, not marketing Because capital is not the fuel trust is. And trust compounds. If you focus on stacking credibility every week, the right investors won’t need persuasion they’ll compete to partner early. What’s one trust-building habit you’ve adopted in your company? #ExecutionFirst #FounderDiscipline #FollowThrough #StartupLeadership #ExecutionOverHype

Most sponsors only share good news until it's too late. But one $47,000 HVAC crisis taught me the real secret to investor trust. Let me share what transformed our relationships forever... "I appreciate that you told us about the HVAC issue before it became a crisis." That single comment during our Q2 update changed everything. Here's why most sponsors get it wrong: They hide problems until they can't anymore. They only showcase wins. They avoid tough conversations. But here's the truth about trust: When you only share wins: Investors assume you're hiding losses Small issues feel like major deceptions Every surprise erodes credibility But when you share everything: Problems become opportunities Trust compounds with each update Investors become true partners Here's our exact framework: 1. Comprehensive quarterly reporting - Full financial transparency - Detailed variance explanations - Clear action plans 2. Proactive problem-solving - Address issues immediately - Present solutions, not just problems - Show the path forward 3. Strategic good news amplification - Balance wins with context - Share sustainable insights - Build long-term confidence The secret isn't avoiding bad news. It's how you share it. Because trust isn't built in the wins... It's built in the moments you could have hidden something, but didn't. What's your approach to sharing difficult news with stakeholders? PS: What's the toughest conversation you've had to have with an investor?

Ethical Considerations in IPOs: Building Trust and Integrity Explore the Key Ethical Aspects of IPOs: 1. Transparency: Ensuring accurate and complete disclosure of financial and operational details builds investor confidence and trust. 2. Fairness: Avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring fair pricing practices are essential to maintaining the integrity of the IPO process. 3. Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to regulatory standards protects investors from fraud and ensures fair market practices. 4. Underwriter Role: Underwriters uphold ethical standards through due diligence, compliance, and accurate pricing, crucial for a successful IPO. 5. Risk Disclosure: Transparent disclosure of risks allows investors to make informed decisions, fostering trust in the company's integrity. 6. Corporate Governance: Strong governance practices promote accountability, transparency, and fairness, essential for ethical IPOs. 7. Insider Trading: Avoiding insider trading maintains market integrity and ensures a level playing field for all investors. 8. ESG Factors: Incorporating environmental, social, and governance considerations demonstrates a commitment to ethical practices. 9. Post-IPO Ethics: Maintaining high ethical standards post-IPO ensures sustained investor trust and market credibility. 10. Third-Party Audits: Independent audits provide assurance of the company’s financial health and ethical practices, enhancing investor confidence. #Finance #IPOs #Investing #Ethics #Transparency #CorporateGovernance #StockMarket #BusinessGrowth #LinkedInLearning #2024Trends

The founder who sent 38 investor updates never asked for money. She raised $2.8M in 17 days. The founder who pitched cold after 7 months of silence? Still fundraising 5 months later. After analyzing our CRM data from the past 10 years, one pattern predicts funding success better than metrics: Monthly investor updates before you need capital. The data shocked even me: Founders who send consistent updates: • First meeting to term sheet: 3.9 months average • Response rate when ready to raise: 68% • Average competing offers: 2.4 Founders who reach out only when raising: • First meeting to term sheet: 7.8 months average • Response rate when ready to raise: 14% • Average competing offers: 0.3 The gap isn't the business quality. It's the relationship depth. One founder's exact playbook: Month 1: "Thanks for the meeting. You asked about our CAC payback period - we just hit 8 months, down from 11." Month 2: "Remember your concern about enterprise adoption? Just closed our first Fortune 500 pilot." Month 3: "You mentioned watching for product-market fit signals. Our NPS just hit 72 with enterprise users." No asks. No pitches. Just data points. By month 5, when she opened her round, three VCs had already socialized her internally. Two had informal approval before the first pitch. The psychology is simple but powerful: VCs bet on trajectories, not snapshots. One meeting shows them where you are. Monthly updates show them where you're going. My tactical formula that converts: 1. Subject line: "[Company] - [Month]: [One metric that moved]" 2. Opening line: Your best number this month 3. Three bullets: Win, learning, next target 4. One challenge: Builds trust through transparency 5. Zero asks: Let them come to you An LP told me last week: "I get 200 pitches a month. I remember maybe 5. But I remember every founder who sends consistent updates." The uncomfortable truth: Your first investor meeting isn't the start of fundraising. It's the start of proving you can execute. Most founders disappear after meetings. Then reappear desperate for capital. Smart founders stay visible during the build. When they raise, investors already know their story. Your investor update isn't about the update. It's about earning the right to ask later. How many investors are watching your progress right now? #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #InvestorRelations #Fundraising #FidelmanCo

The Most Important KPI That Doesn’t Exist We measure almost everything in business. Marketing is measured by customer acquisition. Sales by revenue. Operations by efficiency. Finance by return on capital. But what do we measure investor relations by? For most listed companies, IR is still judged by meetings held, conferences attended or the quality of quarterly reporting. Yet the real objective is much bigger: attracting long-term shareholders, improving liquidity, broadening the shareholder register and ensuring the market truly understands the business. The world’s most valuable companies understand this instinctively. Warren Buffett built Berkshire Hathaway through decades of thoughtful, consistent communication with shareholders. Elon Musk has demonstrated that a compelling narrative can create an army of engaged investors who understand—and often support—a long-term vision. Great investor relations isn’t about promotion. It’s about education, transparency and consistency. At Curation, we believe the industry is approaching a turning point. For the first time, AI and digital engagement allow investor communications to become measurable. We can now begin to quantify how engagement influences retail participation, trading activity and investor behaviour. The companies that embrace both institutional and retail investors with a clear, consistent and accessible message won’t simply have better communications. They’ll have a strategic advantage. The future of investor relations won’t be judged by how much you communicate. It will be judged by the impact your communication creates.

We raised $20 million at my last company. The deck didn't get us there. One simple question did. At Whippy we haven't raised venture. We're profitable from year one. But at my last company we raised multiple rounds, and there's a playbook I'd use if I had to do it tomorrow. It starts with not pitching your target VCs first. The first ten pitches you give are the worst pitches of your life. Burn them on people who can't fund you. Founders. Advisors. Operators in your space. People who'll give you honest feedback without expecting a yes. Frame the meeting as "I want your advice on this deck." Not "I'm raising and want to know if you're interested." Advice meetings get taken. Pitch meetings get declined. End every meeting with the same question. Not "do you have any concerns." That gets you nothing. Ask: "What's your one biggest concern?" The word "one" forces them to prioritize. They pick the thing that worries them most. That's the data you need. Now you address that concern in the deck. And you pitch again. Round one: concern A. Address it. Round two: concern B. Address it. Concern C. Then D. Five iterations in, your deck has answered the four most common concerns before any investor can raise them. They sit there nodding instead of objecting. That's not a perfect pitch deck. That's a deck that survived ten rounds of attack. By the time you walk into a16z or Sequoia or wherever you actually want money, you've already heard every concern they're going to raise. You've already answered them. The deck reads itself. The first time you fundraise, you think the secret is the story. It's not. The secret is the iteration. Ask for advice and you get money. Ask for money and you get advice. Use them in the right order.