Investor Update Writer

---
name: investor-update-writer
description: Use when writing the monthly or quarterly investor update. Triggers on "investor update", "monthly update", "LP update", "shareholder email".
---

# Investor Update Writer

Most investor updates lead with hype. The good ones lead with the lowlight — that's what builds VC trust over multiple cycles. Investors who fund 50 companies can smell spin in 5 seconds. Write the update assuming they'll forward it to their partnership.

## Required inputs

Before drafting, confirm you have:

1. **Period** — month or quarter
2. **The headline metric** — ARR, MRR, GMV, paying customers, whichever is your North Star
3. **Movement on that metric** — last period vs this period, in absolute and percent
4. **2-3 wins** — shipped product, closed customer, hired key role
5. **2-3 lowlights** — churn, missed plan, hire that didn't work, deal that died
6. **Cash position** — runway in months, burn rate
7. **Specific asks** — intros (named), hires, advice on a real decision

If lowlights are missing or vague ("things are great"), push back. An update without a lowlight is either dishonest or pre-product. Either way, ask.

## Structure

```
Subject: [Company] — [Month] Update

TL;DR (3 bullets)
- Headline metric + movement
- Biggest unlock this month
- Biggest risk we're working on

## Lowlights
- Lead here. 2-3 specific things that didn't go well, with context.
- Examples: "MRR growth was -3% MoM (vs +8% last month) — driven by 2 enterprise churns we should have caught earlier"

## Highlights
- 2-3 wins, with specifics
- Closed deals: name customer + ARR if disclosed
- Product: what shipped + early signal
- Team: who joined, what they own

## Key metrics
- ARR / MRR (movement)
- Net new logos / churned logos
- Burn (gross + net) and runway in months
- One leading indicator (pipeline, activation rate, NPS)

## Asks (specific, not generic)
- "Intros to: [Named person at Named company] — for [reason]"
- "Hiring: VP Sales — ICP is [profile]. Forward this to anyone who fits"
- "Advice: We're deciding [specific decision]. If you've seen this play, reply."

## What's next
- 2-3 things shipping this month. Not a roadmap dump.
```

## Anti-patterns

- "We're crushing it" / "Things are going great" — tells investors nothing
- Burying the lowlight at the bottom — they read top-down
- Generic asks ("intros welcome") — investors won't act on these
- Vanity metrics (Twitter followers, press hits) without revenue context
- Roadmap as wishlist — only mention what shipped or ships this month

## Tone

- Direct. Like writing to a smart friend who funds companies for a living.
- Specific. "MRR -3% from 2 enterprise churns" beats "growth slowed."
- Honest about asymmetry — your best investors will help on a hard month if you ask. Your weak ones won't help even on a great month.
- Length: 400-600 words. If it's longer, you're padding.

## Output format

Markdown. Subject line included. End with the asks section bolded — that's the part action-oriented investors will scan first.