Investor question 50 of 50 · Risk, scenarios & the plan
“How often will you report to us, and what?”
Short answer: the investor is really asking will you be a transparent partner? Answer in three steps: (1) commit to a monthly or quarterly update; (2) list the metrics you'll report; (3) include plan vs actual.
What they're really asking
Will you be a transparent partner? Investors rarely care about the question on its own. They're testing whether you know your numbers cold, whether your assumptions are honest, and whether you can explain them simply.
How to answer, step by step
- Commit to a monthly or quarterly update.
- List the metrics you'll report.
- Include plan vs actual.
An example answer
A monthly update with MRR, new and churned customers, burn, runway and plan vs actual, plus our asks.
Figures are from Loopdesk, the fictional SaaS company in our sample files. Swap in your own numbers and keep the structure.
The answer that loses trust
Avoid
Promising updates you won't send.
Where the proof lives
Before the meeting, find the number behind your answer. In our workbooks it lives in: Investor Presentation Masterclass, Chapter 13. If you can open that tab and point to it, the follow-up question is easy.