Startups
Entrepreneurs / Funding / Investing / Media / Sponsored content

Tracy Chadwell of 1843 Capital explains the ‘skill set of the ask’

Hear advice on achieving your investing goals in the final episode of this season of our podcast "Off the Sidelines."

Tracy Chadwell. (Courtesy photo)

This podcast series is produced in partnership with Project Entrepreneur, a program by UBS.

Investing is as much a personal journey as a financial one. And like any journey, it certainly helps to know your destination before you set out.

That’s why Tracy Chadwell, founder of 1843 Capital, always asks new investors, “What are your goals?” If they’re chasing above-market returns, she points them in the direction of contributing to a new fund from a VC firm you believe in. If they prefer to go the angel route, she encourages them to spread their checks, as 90% of seed stage companies fail.

With her own firm, Chadwell invests in Series A and B companies, since she believes that stage exists at the intersection of reduced risk and significant upside. That kind of growth equity requires bigger checks to buy into companies with more traction, but it allows her to leverage her expertise. It’s a personal decision.

We asked her how she decided to target this range (and what she thinks of new categories like “super seed” and “seed extension”) on the final episode of this pilot season of “Off the Sidelines” — an investor education podcast produced by us at Technical.ly in partnership with Project Entrepreneur, a program by UBS.

Project Entrepreneur helps female founders with a targeted focus on investment readiness and building bridges to funders. By diversifying the pipeline of investors and supporters, Project Entrepreneur aims to accelerate their growth through increasing access to capital and building ecosystems to advance women entrepreneurs. Similarly, 1843 provides resources and advice to its portfolio companies, drawing on Chadwell and her team’s experience and networks.

One of the main lessons Chadwell imparts is her “skill set of the ask” — how to best prepare for making an ask, whether it’s for investment, a raise, a job opportunity or any time you’re putting yourself out there. This approach can do a lot to reduce nerves and fear, transforming a conventionally “soft skill” into a practicable technique. If you’ve ever had to make a big ask (or are planning to in the future), you’ll want to find out her “three knows to a yes.”

Listen to the episode below to hear our conversation with Chadwell, including how to master that “skill set of the ask” and what she thinks are the biggest investment red flags to avoid.

Off the Sidelines — Ep 10 — Tracy Chadwell of 1843 Capital

 

Check out the rest of this season of “Off the Sidelines” for more conversations with notable figures throughout the investing world. Click below to subscribe and listen to all 10 episodes.

Follow Off the Sidelines here

Listen to episodes and subscribe here:

Series: Off the Sidelines
Engagement

Join the conversation!

Find news, events, jobs and people who share your interests on Technical.ly's open community Slack

Trending

Where to watch the April 8 solar eclipse in Pittsburgh

What company leaders need to know about the CTA and required reporting

The ‘Amazon of science stores’ and 30 other vendors strut their stuff for Philly biotech

How venture capital is changing, and why it matters

Technically Media