The November edition of Ask Us Anything About LinkedIn brought another insightful conversation – this time with Nikola Yanev, startup and VC expert, and co-founder of the Fundraise Ready Bootcamp. Together with Alex, Didi and Dari, Nikola shared his perspective on how founders can use LinkedIn to build credibility, connect with investors, and turn their profiles into a real fundraising tool.
“Many times, the first thing an investor will do after meeting you is to vet you through your LinkedIn profile,” Nikola said. “If your company isn’t listed, or your experience doesn’t reflect your current focus, that’s a red flag.”
Throughout the episode, Nikola emphasized that a founder’s LinkedIn presence can make or break investor interest. Updating your profile, staying consistent, and posting with purpose are not just nice-to-haves – they’re part of the due diligence process.
“Every day is a good day to start,” he added. “The second best time is before you actually need it.”
When it comes to mistakes, Nikola pointed out a few recurring ones: outdated profiles, generic connection requests, and irregular posting habits. “When you connect with someone, don’t just say ‘Let’s connect.’ Give context. Why are you reaching out? How did you find them? What do you have in common? Don’t sell – connect.”
He also shared a practical example of a founder currently fundraising in the U.S. who built his investor pipeline almost entirely through LinkedIn from first message to booked meetings. “No cold emails,” Nikola explained. “Just consistent activity and a clear profile that tells investors exactly who you are and what you’re building.”
The conversation naturally moved to content – what founders (and VCs) should post to stay relevant. According to Nikola, the best-performing founders on LinkedIn share lessons from their daily challenges. “Talk about what worked, what didn’t, and what you’re learning,” he said. “People resonate with honesty.”
He and the hosts also explored how VCs could be more transparent online. Instead of polished statements, Nikola believes investors should show more of the real process behind the scenes – what happens inside their funds, how they make decisions, and what they’re learning from working with founders.
“VCs are usually seen as strong and distant, but the few who share real stories not just advice, are the ones who truly connect with founders.”
As the discussion turned to authenticity, Nikola revealed how he manages to stay consistent without burning out. He structures his posts intentionally:
“One opinion post, one value post, and one personal story each week. Mix them – your audience wants color, not repetition.”
The conversation closed on a broader note – about AI-generated content and its growing impact on LinkedIn. Nikola remained realistic:
“AI is both the best and the worst thing that happened to content creation. It can’t replace human perspective, but it can help you plan and structure better.”
In the end, the message was clear: credibility is built, not claimed and LinkedIn remains one of the strongest tools for founders who want to earn investor trust before they ever walk into a meeting.
Missed the live? You can catch the full recording on Spotify or YouTube, and join the crew again on December 5th for another Ask Us Anything About LinkedIn.
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