The obsession with the deck
GPs overinvest in slides and underinvest in the months of pre work that create conviction. In this region the meeting does not create belief. It confirms it.
Misreading the allocator
Allocators here screen people, structure, and downside before upside. If your story is all IRR with weak governance or unclear counterparties, you lose the room.
Confusing reach with fit
More meetings do not raise more capital here. A compressed allocator set that actually maps to ticket, mandate, and reputation does.
Treating a warm intro like a yes
An intro gives access, not intent. If the introducer is a poor fit or your story does not travel without you, the meeting becomes courtesy not progress.
Rushing the process
Speed reads as pressure when the relationship is not ready. Trust sets the pace. Push too hard and cycles stretch or shut down.
Ignoring sequencing
Right rooms in the wrong order leak momentum. The GCC rewards deliberate order. Each conversation should make the next one easier.
Being unknown at the wrong time
Showing up only when you need capital keeps you a stranger. Presence before the raise is part of the work. Quiet, consistent, helpful.
Under structuring the downside
Families protect capital, time, and name. Lead with protections. Show the enforcement path, governance, cash flows, and who stands behind the paper.
Over claiming in a low ego market
Overstatement travels fast and closes doors. Underpromise, deliver, and let the right people talk about it when you are not in the room.
- Start with allocator fit. Map 6 to 12 targets that truly match ticket, timing, and lens.
- Sequence the path. Order rooms so conviction compounds.
- Lead with protections and counterparties. Upside comes after trust.
- Build presence early. Be known for judgment before you ask for capital.
- Make the story repeatable. If an advocate cannot defend it in 60 seconds, fix it.