Bill Trenchard

Inspirer
DISC Type : di

Partner at First Round Capital

United States

Overview

Bill Trenchard is a Partner at First Round Capital, specializing in the formative years of startups. A serial entrepreneur who started his first company at nineteen, he leverages his experience to invest across B2B, SaaS, Fintech, and Climate tech. People who have worked with him often describe him as intelligent, thoughtful, and a sage. He holds a BA from Cornell University.

He has a founder-centric approach, believing in giving his unvarnished opinion while also offering unwavering support. His investment philosophy is rooted in his firsthand experience of building companies from the ground up, including co-founding and leading Liveops as CEO before his venture career.

Interesting fact: He tells founders all the reasons not to join his companies to ensure they are truly committed before he hires them.

Personality Overview

Decisive

Generous

Confident & Optimistic

They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.  They usually prefer to drive the conversation. They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.

Topics They Care About

Early-Stage Growth
His career is dedicated to the fragile early stages of startups, focusing on foundational choices in hiring, building, and storytelling to ensure compounding growth.
Founder Mentorship
He is passionate about guiding founders, offering direct, unvarnished opinions paired with unwavering support to help them navigate the challenges of building a company.
B2B & SaaS Investing
As a generalist investor, he has deep expertise and a broad portfolio in B2B and consumer companies, including notable investments in Looker, Flexport, and Verkada.

Media Appearances

Bill Trenchard (First Round Capital) on Pitch Deck Structure. Featured in YouTube

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Bill Trenchard (First Round Capital) Explains How First .... Featured in YouTube

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Bill Trenchard (First Round Capital) on Targeting the Right VCs. Featured in YouTube

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Work History

Partner at First Round Capital
Angel Investor at Self
12-2000 - 2-2021
Co-Founder & Board Member at Liveops, Inc.
CEO / Chairman at Liveops, Inc.
8-2012 - 12-2019
Board Member at Looker

Education

BA from Cornell University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 19 Location : United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Partner at First Round Capital
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Insights For Selling To Bill

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Focus on the big picture and the strategic value of your product
  • Acknowledge their status and position during the conversation
  • Look like someone who is on top of their game

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Bill is

  • Belief in the value of the product, relationship and a sense of accomplishment matter the most.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Bill

  • They are not shy of saying no if they do not develop trust in your product.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Bill move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Bill take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Bill

Personality Compatibility


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