vc-founder-responder

# VC Founder Responder v1

Generate thoughtful, personalized founder responses that preserve relationships — whether passing, requesting more info, or scheduling a meeting.

## Three Response Types

| | Warm Pass | Request for Info | Meeting Request |
|---|---|---|---|
| **What it is** | Respectful decline that leaves the door open | Targeted follow-up to fill screening gaps | Enthusiastic but professional meeting invite |
| **When to use** | Verdict: PASS | Verdict: CONSIDER (or DEEP DIVE with gaps) | Verdict: DEEP DIVE (or strong CONSIDER) |
| **What it preserves** | Founder relationship + referral source relationship | Optionality — keeps deal alive pending answers | Momentum — moves quickly on promising deals |
| **Tone** | Kind, specific, honest | Curious, direct, respectful of founder's time | Warm, genuine interest, clear next steps |

---

## Workflow Overview

1. **Gather context** — Collect deal screening output, referral context, and relationship details
2. **Classify response type** — Determine Pass / Request for Info / Meeting Request
3. **Classify relationship context** — Cold inbound, warm intro, portfolio referral, repeat founder, etc.
4. **Confirm approach** — Present plan and tone, get approval
5. **Generate response** — Draft personalized email/message
6. **Validate & refine** — Present draft for tone and content adjustments

---

## Step 1: Gather Context

Collect the following inputs:

**From Deal Screening (preferred):**
- Quick Screen Card or Full Assessment output from vc-deal-screener
- Verdict (PASS / CONSIDER / DEEP DIVE) and rationale
- Company name, one-liner, archetype
- Key strengths and concerns identified
- Key questions (if any)

**From User Directly (if no screening):**
- Company name and what they do
- Why passing, requesting info, or taking meeting
- Any specific feedback to include or avoid

**Relationship Context (always ask):**
- How the deal came in: cold inbound, warm intro, portfolio founder referral, co-investor referral, conference meeting, accelerator demo day
- Referral source name (if applicable)
- Any prior interaction with the founder
- Whether the user wants to CC the referral source

**Prompt template:**
> To draft the right response, I need:
> - **Deal context**: Paste the Quick Screen Card, share the deck, or tell me about the company
> - **Response type**: Are you passing, requesting more info, or scheduling a meeting?
> - **How it came in**: Cold inbound, warm intro, referral — and from whom?
> - **Any constraints**: Anything to include or avoid in the response?

## Step 2: Classify Response Type

If not explicitly stated, infer from the verdict:

| Verdict | Default Response | Override Conditions |
|---------|-----------------|-------------------|
| PASS | Warm Pass | User says "but I want to meet them anyway" → Meeting Request |
| CONSIDER | Request for Info | User says "just pass" → Warm Pass; "let's meet" → Meeting Request |
| DEEP DIVE | Meeting Request | User says "I need more info first" → Request for Info |

## Step 3: Classify Relationship Context

The relationship context determines tone, urgency, and structure:

| Context | Key Signals | Tone Adjustments |
|---------|------------|-----------------|
| **Cold Inbound** | No referral, founder emailed directly | Professional but efficient. Less obligation to personalize deeply. Can be shorter. |
| **Warm Intro** | Mutual connection made the intro | Must acknowledge the introducer. Warmer tone. More personalization required. |
| **Portfolio Referral** | Existing portfolio founder sent the deal | Highest care — reflects on relationship with portfolio company. Always personalize substantially. |
| **Co-Investor Referral** | Another VC or angel sent the deal | Professional courtesy. Acknowledge referrer's judgment. Keep door open for future deal sharing. |
| **Conference / Event** | Met at a conference, demo day, pitch event | Reference the specific event and conversation. Casual but professional. |
| **Repeat Founder** | Founder previously pitched or has history with the fund | Acknowledge the history. Higher personalization. Reference what's changed. |
| **Accelerator Demo Day** | YC, Techstars, or other accelerator batch | Reference the program. Can be slightly more templated — founders expect batch-level outreach. |

Load the appropriate tone guide from `references/tone-guides/`:

| Context | Tone Guide File |
|---------|----------------|
| Cold Inbound | `references/tone-guides/cold-inbound.md` |
| Warm Intro | `references/tone-guides/warm-intro.md` |
| Portfolio Referral | `references/tone-guides/portfolio-referral.md` |
| Co-Investor Referral | `references/tone-guides/co-investor-referral.md` |
| Conference / Event | `references/tone-guides/conference.md` |
| Repeat Founder | `references/tone-guides/repeat-founder.md` |
| Accelerator Demo Day | `references/tone-guides/accelerator.md` |

## Step 4: Confirm Approach (REQUIRED)

**ALWAYS present the response plan and wait for user confirmation before drafting.**

```
## Response Plan

**Company:** [Name] — [One-liner]
**Founder:** [Name(s) if known]
**Verdict:** [PASS / CONSIDER / DEEP DIVE]

**Response Type:** [Warm Pass / Request for Info / Meeting Request]
[1 sentence on why this response type]

**Relationship Context:** [Cold Inbound / Warm Intro / etc.]
- Referral source: [Name or "none"]
- Prior interactions: [Any history or "first contact"]

**Tone:** [Based on relationship context — e.g., "Warm and specific — portfolio referral requires high-touch response"]

**Key Elements I'll Include:**
- [Specific thing from the pitch I'll reference to show I read it]
- [Specific reason for the decision, framed constructively]
- [Next step or door-left-open language]
- [Referral acknowledgment if applicable]

**Key Elements I'll Avoid:**
- [Generic language like "not a fit at this time"]
- [Anything the user flagged to avoid]

**Reply to confirm, or adjust any element above.**
```

**Wait for explicit confirmation before proceeding to Step 5.**

## Step 5: Generate Response

Load the appropriate response template from `references/response-templates/`:

| Response Type | Template File |
|--------------|--------------|
| Warm Pass | `references/response-templates/warm-pass.md` |
| Request for Info | `references/response-templates/request-for-info.md` |
| Meeting Request | `references/response-templates/meeting-request.md` |

**Apply the relationship context tone guide on top of the response template.**

Generate the email/message following these universal rules:

### Universal Response Rules

**ALWAYS:**
- Reference something specific from the pitch/deck/email (company name, product, a metric, the problem they're solving)
- Keep it under 150 words for passes, under 200 words for info requests, under 150 words for meeting requests
- Use the founder's first name
- Sound like a human, not a template
- End with a clear next step (or clear closure for passes)
- Match the formality level to the relationship context

**NEVER:**
- Use "not a fit at this time" or "doesn't align with our current thesis" without specifics
- Use "we were impressed by" followed by a rejection (the juxtaposition feels hollow)
- Give unsolicited advice in a pass email unless the user specifically requests it
- Use "circle back" or "keep us updated" as empty pleasantries (only if genuinely meant)
- Use exclamation points in pass emails
- Be longer than necessary — founders are busy too
- Lie about the reason for passing (vague is fine, dishonest is not)

### Response-Specific Rules

Read the full template in the references file. Key principles per type:

**Warm Pass:**
- Lead with what's genuinely interesting about the company (1 sentence max)
- Give an honest, constructive reason — or be transparent that you're being selective
- Leave the door open specifically (what would make you look again) OR close cleanly
- If there's a better-fit investor, offer the intro (only if genuine)

**Request for Info:**
- Lead with genuine interest — this isn't a pass, communicate that clearly
- Ask 2-3 specific questions maximum (not a diligence questionnaire)
- Explain why these specific questions matter for your evaluation
- Give a timeline ("if you can share by [date], I'd love to review and set up a call")

**Meeting Request:**
- Lead with what specifically excites you (not generic enthusiasm)
- Propose specific times or a scheduling link
- Be clear about format (30 min Zoom, coffee, office visit) and who from your team
- Set expectations on what you'd like to cover

## Step 6: Validate & Refine

After presenting the draft, offer:
> Here's the draft. You can:
> - Adjust the tone (warmer, more direct, more casual)
> - Add or remove specific points
> - Change the reason for passing or the questions asked
> - Add a referral source CC version
> - Generate an alternate version with a different approach
> - If passing: generate a "better fit" investor suggestion to include

---

## Batch Mode

For high-volume deal flow, support batch response generation:

> If you have multiple deals to respond to, share them as a list and I'll generate all responses in sequence:
> - [Company A] — Pass (cold inbound)
> - [Company B] — Meeting request (warm intro from Sarah)
> - [Company C] — Request for info (portfolio referral)
>
> I'll draft each one with appropriate personalization and present them together for review.

---

## GP Voice Customization

If the user provides examples of their previous emails or describes their communication style, adapt all responses to match their voice:

**Voice Signals to Detect:**
- Formality level (first name vs. full name, contractions vs. formal)
- Signature style (sign-off, title inclusion, PS usage)
- Feedback style (direct vs. diplomatic, specific vs. general)
- Relationship investment (transactional vs. relationship-building)
- Length preference (terse vs. detailed)

If the user has a brand voice profile (from brand-voice-generator), apply it to all response drafts.

---

## Reference Files

### Core
- `references/response-rules.md` — Universal rules for all founder responses
- `references/example-outputs.md` — Complete examples across response types and contexts

### Response Templates
- `references/response-templates/warm-pass.md`
- `references/response-templates/request-for-info.md`
- `references/response-templates/meeting-request.md`

### Tone Guides (by Relationship Context)
- `references/tone-guides/cold-inbound.md`
- `references/tone-guides/warm-intro.md`
- `references/tone-guides/portfolio-referral.md`
- `references/tone-guides/co-investor-referral.md`
- `references/tone-guides/conference.md`
- `references/tone-guides/repeat-founder.md`
- `references/tone-guides/accelerator.md`