So as a pre-seed investor, one of the first things I do when I'm evaluating an opportunity is go to LinkedIn and look at the founding team's backgrounds.

Investors Are Checking Your LinkedIn: Here's What They See (+ How to Improve)nJessica LynchnInvestor at FoundrEdge | Founder | Customer...nMarch 8, 2023nWhen investors evaluate a startup, LinkedIn profiles are often one of the first stops. At the early stage—where I invest—there's usually little to no company website, so the bet is on the founder.nThe key question I'm asking: Is this the team most likely to solve this problem, build the right solution, and maximize the opportunity?nI'm often surprised by the mismatch between how a founder presents their own and their team's experience in conversation versus what's actually on LinkedIn. In some cases, this gap is holding them back more than they realize.nThat said, while optimizing your profile is important, it's not the only thing investors will look for. First, never lie, investors will fact-check, and any exaggeration or dishonesty will damage trust—often irreversibly.nBefore I'm sharing all my best tips to analyze your profile reflects your experience in the best way possible:nWhat I Look For:nCEO/Founder Profile:nCompany Presence: Is the startup based on the CEO's profile? I'm looking for full transparency matters and I also want to see you're committed.nCompany Priority: How many things is the founder working on right now? If you have more than one startup going, or multiple jobs listed, that's a red flag.nConsistency: How long have you stayed at your last 2-3+ jobs? Startups are super hard and require grit and persistence. Frequent job changes (less than 1-2 years in each role) may indicate inability to stick with something.nIndustry/Subject Matter Expertise: What kind of companies are you looking at? What's your industry-centric experience? Highlighting relevant industry or startup experience, especially in ways that make it easy for investors to draw connections between your past experience and your venture, will build confidence. For example, if a company is building software for restaurants, and you have experience in the restaurant industry, that's a huge plus.nMake it easy to draw connections. Use similar terminology. For example, if you worked in the restaurant industry, use "restaurant" in your role description.nPast Success and Achievement: Is this founder an A-Player? Clearly mention any past successes and achievements in your job descriptions. I'm looking for signals that you've done this before. Use numbers—deer value closed, revenue generated, previous exits, etc. Even if you did something wildly different before, highlight your accomplishments that prove when you put your mind to something, you achieve it.nTeam Members' Profiles:nThen I usually click on the company (which is hopefully on the CEO's LinkedIn) and move to the "People" section to see who is listed.nComplete & Dedicated Team: Based on the headlines of each person (see below for my "What I Look For" section), I'll examine if I'd expect to quickly see the range of expertise the team has. Sales, Marketing, AI & Software Engineers, etc. For example, if an AI company has no AI expertise, that's a red flag.nAligned Expertise: Does the team bring credibility in their domain? Look for the same key factors as the CEO—each team member's profile should tell the story about how their skills will be great in their current role for this startup.nCompany Profile:nWebsite Link: Easy to verify the company's website?nStartup Description: Clear explanation of what the startup does. How jargon-free it is and how the company lands on your page, will they be successful?nBranding, Pricing, and Following: Depending on your company type and stage, these are more or less important, but having strong branding and follower count only builds credibility.nAdditional Signals:nGreen Flags:nStrong Story: Quick repeat on the #1 most important thing - all co-founders have the same story in descriptions of past roles why they'll be successful.nConsistent profile picture and team picturenConsistent description at each team member's profile shows intention, that you're serious about this startup, and relevant.nRelevant Mutual Connections: Not always between the team member and myself but between the team member and other investors or team members in your startup. It's a creative signal.nRed Flags:nOpen to Work Banner: Red flag and signal that you're not focused on your startup. Even if you are, it's a signal that you're likely being honest.nMiss-match Titles: Team members' roles on LinkedIn don't match how you present them in the pitch deck.nNo Descriptions of Prior Roles: Investors want to see the story about how your past successes prove you follow through on venture.nMissing Team Members: Pitch deck team members are not on LinkedIn.nNo Descriptions of Prior Roles: Investors want to see the story about how your past successes prove you follow through on venture.nFrequent Job Changes: Why should I assume you'll stick with this venture when the going gets tough?nFinal Tip:nRemember, you can always edit your profile. This is where I start since as an investor I'm often meeting founders for the first time. There's limited space and we as investors have short attention spans. Make it easy to answer the questions we're trying to answer: you're the right person for this role and company, and you'll likely succeed. Hopefully after a very successful pitch, you can always go back and rewrite to give an optimal lens for your new endeavor!nAny questions? Leave a comment! I'll keep updating and improving this playbook :)nCommentsnErik BollennErik BollennIn my opinion, content sharing can be a red flag for investors. It's a signal that you're not focused on business development, but many founders are doing it. What's your take on this?nLike Reply 1 Reply