A star Silicon Valley investor who sold her startup for $200 million reveals the jarring tactic she had to use to make men pay attention to her pitches

pulse

April 13, 2018 8:56 PM

Sequoia partner Jess Lee developed an effective strategy to shake her nerves while raising money from venture capitalists for her startup, Polyvore.

Sequoia Capital investing partner Jess Lee said that she used an effective tactic to command investors' attention when she was raising capital for her former company, Polyvore.
The tactic involved startling all the men at the beginning of pitch meetings by slamming a stack of magazines down loudly on the desk.
Along with a group of female founders and investors, Lee is offering practical guidance to female entrepreneurs through the project Female Founder Office Hours.
One of Lee's top tips to female entrepreneuers is to enter their pitch meetings with confidence.

Before Jess Lee became the first female investing partner at Sequoia Capital's Silicon Valley firm, she was a successful entrepreneur. Lee cofounded Polyvore, a fashion e-commerce company that was acquired by Yahoo for about $200 million.

But in Polyvore's early days, Lee struggled to raise money for it.

Lee would often find herself walking into a room full of disinterested male investors. In order to capture their attention and shake her nerves, she began her pitch meetings with a jarring tactic.

In an interview with Business Insider, Lee said that she would hold a stack of Vogue magazines tucked under her arm. Without warning, she'd slam them down on the table and announce: "There

Now that she's an investor, Touby admits a founder's demeanor often has a direct effect on her interest in investing in their company.

"Unfortunately, I've only invested in a few female-founded companies," said Touby. "I feel turned off when a founder doesn't seem forceful. Being too gentle is a strike against anyone, whether you're a woman or a man, particularly when you're forcing your way into someone's pocketbook."

Another founder,

Now, Cucuru and Lee are teaming up to offer this kind of practical advice to other female startup founders. The project, called Female Founder Office Hours, pairs women with mentors who can offer guidance on how to build and manage a company, raise capital, and create an effective pitchdeck.

Since November, Lee said the project has received interest from close to 1,500 women. While the amount of interest has been overwhelming, Lee said it didn't surprise her.

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