Key Takeaways
- Founders refer deals to investors they trust, not to investors they know.
- The investor with the best reputation among founders sees the best early deals.
- Being genuinely helpful to founders is the most effective deal flow strategy available.
Saim Abbasi approaches why the founder's network is the best deal flow source from the perspective of an operator who has built and sold companies, run a media brand, and invested across multiple sectors through Iron Key Capital. The insight shared here comes from direct experience rather than academic study.
The Core Idea
The specific advantage that founder-to-founder networks create in accessing investment opportunities. This comes up frequently in the work Saim does with founders at every stage from pre-seed through Series A. The framework is consistent even when the application varies by company and context.
What to Do With This
Entrepreneurs and global businessmen who have navigated this successfully tend to share specific habits of mind described in the key takeaways. Saim Abbasi's track record across SA Capital, OptionsSwing, Asset Entities, SA Media, and Iron Key Capital provides a practical lens on what works.
"The best source of deal flow is the founders who worked with you and told others."