20 VC 059: How To Approach VCs with Arteen Arabshahi, VC @ Karlin Ventures

Arteen Arabshahi is a VC at Karlin Ventures, where he specialises in enterprise software, commerce platforms, and marketplaces. Prior to Karlin Ventures, Arteen spearheaded the launch of Built In LA, an online community for digital entrepreneurs and innovators. However, his passion for startups flourished while helping run operations at Excelerate Labs, now Techstars Chicago. In today's incredible interview we delve into the best strategies for contacting any VC you want, how to make the approach, how to deal with the emotional and psychological pressure of starting a company and the rise of marketplaces. When not with startups, Arteen sits on the board of TEDxVenice Beach and is a supporter of TWLOHA, a non-profit raising awareness and support for those struggling with mental health.

As always you can follow Harry, The Twenty Minute VC, Arteen and Karlin Ventures on Twitter right here!

In Today's Episode You Will Learn:

• How Arteen made the jump into the world of Venture Capital, from originally wanting to be a plastic surgeon!!
• How did Arteen approach VCs when applying for positions?
• What did Arteen say in those emails to achieve such a high response rate?
• What tools did Arteen use to ensure he got the VCs real email address?
• Does Arteen agree with the traditional routes into Venture: Startup Founder, Consultant, Investment Banking?
• Why is Arteen so excited about marketplaces? Are there any in particular that Arteen is doubling down on?
• How big a market does a market have to be to get Arteen excited?
• What would Arteen advise founders potentially struggling from self doubt or lacking in confidence?
• What mental health tools would Arteen recommend to help with this?
• The biggest red flags for Arteen when being pitched to?

Items Mentioned in Today's Episode:

• Email Address Tools: Rapportive
• Arteen's ProductHunt Collection
• Arteen's Fave Book: Fightclub
• Arteen's Marketplace Investments: Laurel & Wolf, ShipHawk
• Arteen's Fave Newsletter: Ben Evans Blog, Strictly VC
• Artene's Most Recent Investment: Policy Genius