A true story
How I got the intro to Sequoia Capital
that led to my first round of funding
that led to my first round of funding
My friends kept connecting me to people just like me
--but I needed--
Top Tier investors
Google Calendar -- April 2026
April 2026
Mon
13
Tue
14
Wed
15
Thu
16
Fri
17
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
David (advisor)10:00 AM
Top Tier investor?
Top Tier investor?
Maya (customer)11:00 AM
Tom (old friend)12:30 PM
Top Tier investor?
Jake (advisor)2:30 PM
The wall
couldn't get to
top tier investors
top tier investors
narrating
The situation
I was raising my first round of funding.
Every week
Every week I had a few meetings -- advisors, friends, customers.
But
But they never led to investor intros.
500 connections.
No Path Out.
linkedin.com/in/jake-l./connections
in
🔍
Sequoia Capital investor
Jake L.
Repeat Founder · Investor
Connections500+
Mutual47
Path to gold???
Jake's connections500+ — no signal
Ron B.
Managing Partner · Fund
3 mutual
Connect
Sarah M.
Investor · Palo Alto
1 mutual
Connect
Tom K.
Product Manager · Startup
12 mutual
Connect
James W.
Investor · San Francisco
2 mutual
Connect
Amy L.
Founder · B2B SaaS (Software as a Service)
8 mutual
Connect
490 more... same opaque list
LinkedIn · the problem
I'd scroll through 500 connections. All familiar.
I had hit my network's limits.
New Message
To
J
Jake L.From
yaniv@gmail.comFollowing up... 🙏
Hey Jake,
Just following up on my last message. Please, if you could take a few moments to think about who in your network might introduce me to Top Tier investors -- it would really mean a lot to me.
I know it's a big ask but even just one name would be amazing. No rush... but soon 😅
Thanks so much 🙏🙏
Just following up on my last message. Please, if you could take a few moments to think about who in your network might introduce me to Top Tier investors -- it would really mean a lot to me.
I know it's a big ask but even just one name would be amazing. No rush... but soon 😅
Thanks so much 🙏🙏
narrating
The tone
My follow-ups were embarrassing.
The ask
Begging someone to just --
The result
think of anyone who might help.
Then
I
started
using
InTouch.
The Strategic Ask Brief
Before
every
meeting
--
a
briefing.
The
path
out
of
my
circle,
and
exactly
who
to
ask
for.
linkedin.com/in/jake-l./connections
in
🔍
Jake L. · 500+ connections
Jake L.
Repeat Founder · Investor
Connections500+
Mutual47
Jake's connections500+
Ron B.
Managing Partner · Fund
3 mutual
Connect
Sarah M.
Investor · Palo Alto
1 mutual
Connect
Tom K.
Product Manager · Startup
12 mutual
Connect
James W.
Investor · San Francisco
2 mutual
Connect
Amy L.
Founder · B2B SaaS (Software as a Service)
8 mutual
Connect
David P.
Partner · Early Stage Fund
5 mutual
Connect
Lisa K.
COO · Growth-Stage Startup
4 mutual
Connect
Mark R.
Angel Investor · NYC
6 mutual
Connect
InTouch · Scanning Jake L.
SCANNING
JL
Jake L.
Repeat Founder · Investor · 500+ connections
● Scanning...
InTouch — Strongest paths found
RB
Ron B. · Managing Partner
Jake intro'd him to 3 of his portfolio founders
Top Tier
SM
Sascha M. · Investor · ex-Sequoia Capital
2° from Sequoia Capital partnership
2° Sequoia
GM
Guy M. · Senior Partner · Venture Fund
Direct General Catalyst relationship
Direct Link
497 other connections — not relevant, filtered out
InTouch is scanning
Looking for
strategic intros
strategic intros
InTouch is evaluating
Evaluating who will
respond to Jake
respond to Jake
InTouch · network scan
I was meeting with Jake -- a founder with deep venture capital connections.
Before the meeting, InTouch scanned his network.
Found who he could reach, and who could connect me up -- to investors I couldn't access on my own.
Strategic Ask Brief · InTouch
Strategic Ask Brief -- Your meeting with Jake L. today 5:30pm
JL
Jake L.
Founder (2 companies sold) · Investor · Palo Alto
Repeat founder turned active investor. Strong network into early-stage investors -- government tech and enterprise software.
Your path out -- ask for these intros
Ron B. -- Govtech Fund
Managing Partner · San Francisco
GovTech-focused venture capitalist, directly aligned with Jake's background. Shaul O. (also in today's meeting) is a mutual connection.
● High response likelihood -- mutual connection
• 1° from Top Tier
Sascha M. -- Angel Investor
3 Exits ($1B+) · SF
Highly aligned founder-to-investor profile. Jake likely knows them from the SF ecosystem.
• 2° from Top Tier
Guy M. -- Miasnik Ventures
4x CEO/Founder · Investor
55 mutual connections to you. Active investor -- a bridge deeper into the network.
• 3° from Top Tier
1° direct
2° one step away
3° two steps away
InTouch · the brief
What changed
Then InTouch sent me a Strategic Ask Brief.
Three paths out
Three specific people. Three specific reasons.
I walk in knowing
I walked in knowing exactly who to ask for.
Google Calendar
April 2026
InTouch Active
Mon
13
Tue
14
Wed
15
Thu
16
Fri
17
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
David (advisor)9:00 AMMy network
Ron B. -- Govtech1:00 PM · via David2° from Top Tier
Sarah K. -- Angel10:00 AM · via David2° from Top Tier
Sascha M. -- Angel2:00 PM · via Jake2° from Top Tier
* Sequoia Partner9:00 AM · via SaschaTop Tier Venture Fund
Maya (customer)11:00 AMMy network
Enterprise contact3:00 PM · via Maya2° from Top Tier
Lena R. -- Founder10:00 AM · via Maya2° from Top Tier
Tom (old friend)1:00 PMMy network
Guy M. -- Advisor4:00 PM · via Tom2° from Top Tier
Nir S. -- Deep tech10:00 AM · via Tom2° from Top Tier
Jake L. (advisor)3:00 PM · originWhere it started
InTouch · narrating
What happened next
Each meeting started generating more intros -- to investors, repeat founders, and top advisors.
The shift
Access was opening up.
Google Calendar
April 2026
InTouch Active
Mon
13
Tue
14
Wed
15
Thu
16
Fri
17
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
David (advisor)9:00 AMMy network
Ron B. -- Govtech1:00 PM · via David2° from Top Tier
Sarah K. -- Angel10:00 AM · via David2° from Top Tier
Sascha M. -- Angel2:00 PM · via Jake2° from Top Tier
* Sequoia Partner9:00 AM · via SaschaTop Tier Venture Fund
Maya (customer)11:00 AMMy network
Enterprise contact3:00 PM · via Maya2° from Top Tier
Lena R. -- Founder10:00 AM · via Maya2° from Top Tier
Tom (old friend)1:00 PMMy network
Guy M. -- Advisor4:00 PM · via Tom2° from Top Tier
Nir S. -- Deep tech10:00 AM · via Tom2° from Top Tier
Jake L. (advisor)3:00 PM · originWhere it started
Google Calendar
April 2026
InTouch Active
Mon
20
Tue
21
Wed
22
Thu
23
Fri
24
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
* Venture Fund PartnerTop Tier Venture Fund
Founder introvia David
* Top Tier AdvisorStrategic
David (advisor)My network
* Top Tier Angelvia Sascha
* Venture Fund PartnerAccel
* Top Tier CustomerEnterprise
* Venture Fund Partnervia Ron B.
* Top Tier AngelAngel investor
Enterprise leadvia Maya
* Top Tier AdvisorBoard member
Alumni contactMy network
Connector introvia Jake
* Top Tier Venture FundSequoia
* Top Tier CustomerFortune 500
Tom (friend)My network
* Venture Fund Partnervia Sascha
* Top Tier Angel3 exits
* Top Tier AngelAngel investor
Team advisorMy network
* Venture Fund PartnerGeneral Catalyst
* Top Tier Advisorvia David
Serial foundervia Tom
* Top Tier Venture FundAndreessen
Jake L. (advisor)Origin
* Top Tier Venture FundBenchmark
* Top Tier CustomerSaaS leader
* Venture Fund Partnervia enterprise
Limited Partner (Investor) Introvia VC
* Top Tier AdvisorOperating
InTouch · narrating
Compounding
The momentum compounded.
The result
Better meetings. Higher confidence.
0
top tier meetings
From
conversations
I
was
already
having.
Advisors
->
Connectors
->
Top Tier investors
InTouch
Stop
networking
in
circles.
Find
the
path
out.
Request access ->
Watch a walkthrough
intouch.ai
0:00 / 1:25
S1 -- Opening
1 / 10
--