What VCs Can Learn from Journalists: Storytelling Lessons That Win Deals and Earn Influence

Journalists and VCs may seem like they work in completely different worlds, but their core job isn’t all that different. Both need to identify important trends before others do, build credibility in competitive environments, and most importantly, craft narratives that make people care—whether that’s a reader, a founder, or an LP.

Yet most VC content feels flat, predictable, and forgettable—because it’s missing the core storytelling techniques that make journalism powerful.

If you want your content to attract the best founders, win over LPs, and establish your firm as a thought leader, here are five lessons VCs should steal from the best journalists.

1. The Best Stories Start with a Hook

Bad VC content starts with a generic intro. Great VC content starts with a hook that makes people want to keep reading.

A journalist never writes an article without thinking about the first sentence—it’s what decides whether the reader sticks around or bails. Yet many VC blogs and newsletters bury the lede, opening with vague statements like:

🚫 “Startups are hard. But great founders find a way.”

🚫 “Technology is evolving quickly, and investors must keep up.”

Compare that to how a journalist—or a compelling investor—might start:

✅ “In the past 12 months, 60% of AI startups we’ve seen have shifted their business models entirely. Here’s why the early hype cycle is breaking—and what happens next.”

✅ “In 2015, I passed on a startup that is now worth $5 billion. Here’s what I missed—and what I’ll never overlook again.”

A strong first sentence makes the reader feel like they need to know what happens next. Before publishing anything, ask yourself: Would this make someone stop scrolling?

✅ Steal This: Next time you write a blog post, start with the most surprising or emotionally compelling part first—then work backward.

2. Show, Don’t Just Tell

Most VC content makes claims. Great VC content tells stories.

Journalists never just say “This is an important trend.” They prove it—through data, examples, or vivid storytelling. VC firms, on the other hand, often rely on vague, high-level statements:

🚫 “AI is transforming every industry.”

🚫 “Product-market fit is critical for startup success.”

Better:

✅ “We analyzed 100 Series A funding rounds, and 85% of them had one thing in common: a repeatable GTM motion already in place before they raised. Here’s what that tells us about product-market fit in 2025.”

✅ “When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, few realized how quickly it would change enterprise workflows. But in the last six months, three of our portfolio companies have pivoted entirely because of it. This is what they’re seeing on the ground.”

Specificity makes content credible and engaging. Instead of making broad claims, back them up with:

• Founder stories (real examples from your portfolio)

• Data points (even if it’s from internal sourcing trends)

• Market observations (what’s changing, and what proof do you have?)

✅ Steal This: Before you hit publish, find one place where you can replace a claim with a real-world example.

3. Get to the Point—Fast

Journalists are trained to write concisely—because if they don’t, readers leave. VCs should do the same.

Too much VC content takes forever to get to the insight. Blog posts and newsletters are often weighed down by unnecessary backstory, overly technical language, or fluffy intros that add nothing.

Compare these two approaches:

🚫 “Startups in the fintech space have faced many challenges over the years, from regulatory concerns to shifting consumer behavior. However, in today’s changing macroeconomic environment, we believe...” (zzzzzz)

✅ “Fintech isn’t dead. It’s just entering its next phase—one where distribution matters more than product. Here’s why we’re investing in companies with a built-in customer base from day one.”

Attention is a limited resource. Every sentence should earn its place.

✅ Steal This: Before publishing, cut 20% of your word count. Your writing will almost always be stronger for it.

4. Write for One Person—Not Everyone

Great journalists write with a specific reader in mind. Great VC content should do the same.

A lot of VC content tries to please too many audiences at once—founders, LPs, other investors—and ends up sounding generic. Journalists, on the other hand, write with a clear audience in mind. A sports journalist writing for die-hard fans doesn’t waste time explaining the rules of baseball.

VC firms should do the same. Instead of writing something broadly useful for all readers, write something deeply useful for a specific reader.

🚫 “We invest in early-stage startups because we believe innovation happens at the earliest stages.”

✅ “If you’re a seed-stage founder trying to raise in this market, here’s the fundraising deck format that’s working right now—and what we’re seeing from the best pitches.”

A founder trying to raise right now cares deeply about that post. A general investment philosophy? Not so much.

✅ Steal This: Before publishing, ask: Who is the single most important person this post should resonate with? If the answer is “everyone,” rewrite it.

5. Don’t Just Inform—Make People Feel Something

People remember stories, not just insights.

Journalism works because it evokes emotion—excitement, curiosity, urgency, even fear. VC content, on the other hand, is often purely informational. But if your goal is to stand out, you need to write in a way that makes readers feel something.

Look at these two ways of delivering the same idea:

🚫 “Fundraising for non-AI startups is difficult in today’s market.” (Informative, but forgettable.)

✅ “Last week, a founder told me they pitched 73 investors before getting a yes. That’s the reality of fundraising in 2025 for ideas that aren’t AI-first—but here’s how to attract attention to your idea anyway.” (Specific, emotionally engaging, and pulls the reader in.)

✅ Steal This: Next time you write, think about what emotion you want the reader to feel—and lean into it.

Final Thought: Tell Stories That Stick

At their core, both VCs and journalists are narrative builders. One does it to inform the public; the other does it to shape markets, influence founders, and win LP trust. The best VCs aren’t just smart—they know how to craft a story that sticks.

If you want your content to attract founders, win over LPs, and make your firm’s voice stand out, start thinking like a journalist.

Because in the end, the best story wins.

If you have a content problem and don’t know how to fix it, let me know — I’d love to help.