Hello again 👋
There's a Catch-22 I hear constantly from founders:
"Chris, we love the work you do and we know we need it. But we don't have funds for LinkedIn until we close our Series A."
When I ask how their investor conversations are going often hear:
"We get meetings, then nothing."
The logic is circular:
You can't afford to invest in visibility until you have funding. But your chances of getting funding are reduced without it.
The market makes this worse. VCs have shifted to later-stage, de-risked investments. The bar is higher than ever. Which means early-stage founders need every possible edge.
Here's what I've noticed about the founders who are breaking through right now:
They're not just the ones with brilliant science. They're showing up in the right places, demonstrating commercial awareness, strategic thinking, market understanding—signals that investors can see on LinkedIn before the first call even happens.
And when investors say "not now" or the market turns cold, that presence keeps the relationship warm. They can see your progress and thinking. When conditions shift or their portfolio priorities change, you're already on their radar.
But if you think about it, you're already betting on uncertainty every day:
→ Spending limited runway on preclinical research that might not work
→ Hiring key people before funding is secured
→ Pitching with data that's suggestive, not conclusive
You do this because the cost of not trying is higher than the cost of the experiment.
So the question becomes: can you afford to be invisible when investors are actively looking for reasons to say no?
I can't show you a double-blind RCT proving LinkedIn leads to investment. That data doesn't exist. But investors have told me directly—they check profiles before taking meetings. And in a market where VCs are de-risking at every turn, being invisible riskss appearing commercially naive.
Next time: LinkedIn's algorithm just changed—here's what it means for founders in 2025.
P.S. Want to see where your LinkedIn profile stands? I'm offering a handful of free LinkedIn audits—a 30-minute review of your profile and recent content with specific recommendations. Register by Friday 16th and schedule yours for January when things settle down after the holidays. No strings attached, just feedback on what's working and what could work better.
Best,
Chris
Founder
Make Business Social
LinkedIn for Healthcare & Life Sciences | Strategic Communications
LinkedIn strategist for healthcare leaders who need visibility for investment, sales or career growth | Positioning → Profile → Content system
