Working with Your VC with Nate Martins

With nearly 11% of all deals closing in December, fostering a successful partnership with your VC will be at the forefront of many startups' minds. Nate Martins joins us on the podcast today to share that your VC does more than just write the check! They play a huge role in your marketing and PR strategy as well. Nate shares his insider’s perspective on how startups can leverage their VC relationships to maximize the impact of their funding news. This week, episode 65 of the FiredUp! podcast is about working with your VC!

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In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Nate Martins dives into the vital role VCs play in supporting their portfolio companies through marketing efforts and actionable steps you can take right now to make the most of your relationship with your VC firm. 

Nate Martins is a marketing and writer who has spent a decade across disciplines—journalism, PR, content, product, lifecycle, copywriting, and more. He was formerly at Notion for four years as the Head of Content and now is Foundation Capital's Marketing Partner. Foundation Capital is an early-stage venture firm that helps take technical founders from $0 to $1M (and beyond). Outside of work, you'll find Nate playing basketball, taking a hike, and chasing his toddler around. 

Nate, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• The three most common things companies seek support from their VC firm with and what the VC might wish their founders would come to them more often for. 
• How a VC might help a company develop its message, articulate its value proposition, and adapt messaging for different channels. 
• Funding announcements require strategic planning and timing of execution for success while keeping speed and openness to iteration in mind. 
• As we near the beginning of 2025, companies might consider exploring trends such as video to enhance their marketing efforts. 
• AI can be a valuable tool if used thoughtfully, but we are uncertain of its implications on SEO. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH NATE MARTINS:

LinkedIn

Foundation Capital 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED:

Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

Chapters

• 0:00 Working with Your VC with Nate Martins
• 2:16 Foundation Capital invests in early-stage, seed, and pre-seed companies.
• 4:18 Common requests that startup founders seek support from their VC with.
• 6:10 When it comes to messaging, Nate prefers a collaborative approach.
• 12:05 The 2 main elements that go into funding announcements and PR strategy.
• 14:30 Challenges and best practices in working with early-stage startups on PR.
• 18:42 The timing and execution of funding announcements are critical to its success.
• 22:53 How Foundation Capital supports its portfolio companies outside of funding announcements.
• 32:48 Speed and iteration are more important than perfection.