Can a VC move fast?

I'll start with the answer:

Yes! - A VC can move fast (Very fast)*

What does it take? Well, sort of a perfect storm:

• Great Entrepreneurs
• A Great Idea
• Great time Pressures (...i.e. competition)
• And Great Courage (of the partner leading the deal)

When these (and some other) conditions collide, a VC can take an investment decision very quickly.

I just got home after signing a term sheet with a new company. The whole process (i.e. first meeting till money in bank) was amazingly quick. I won't provide details on the time (trust me it was Fast), the amount of money (a significant sum), or the idea (a promising one).

I will mention one key thing - You really need to have a strong partner leading such deal - preferably one that has a lot of experience in the field, great intuition, the ability to drive deals within the fund, and a lot of guts.

... last, but not least - its always good to have an Associate that's willing to give up a few nights sleep and a weekend to push the deal through (I'm not complaining... not complaining...)

*do note - Such a quick process is not the rule in the world of VC, rather the exception... although from what I've been seeing over the last months - it's happening more often around here. Definitely a sign of the (heating up) times.

Tags: VC, Deal making, Raising money, Fast