The relationship between entrepreneurs and investors is never an easy one – like in a marriage, you have to work every day on making it better and more productive for both sides. So it put a real smile on my face when I got this email from an entrepreneur this morning whose company we just backed (actually our first investment in our second fund):

Thank you for the vote of confidence. We want to be the best founders you’ve ever worked with, and with this in mind, it would be great to discuss what our expectations are for our working relationship moving forward. From our perspective, we believe that the decisions that will maximize our company’s success are often a product of friction. So in addition to being coached, we look forward to being challenged by you.

Finding the right balance between supporting, coaching and challenging an entrepreneur is what we thrive for every day and I hope it pays off for our founders.