Way 1: without AI (the manual way)
Honest cost: days per raise.
- Search databases and LinkedIn for investors matching your thesis.
- Read each one’s portfolio and thesis posts for real fit.
- Log them with evidence, then write personalized outreach.
Raising while running the company means outreach quality collapses exactly when volume needs to rise. The walkthrough below builds the outreach engine with an assistant: thesis-match evidence per investor, drafts from that evidence, a tracker with stages and next steps - you approve every send.
Pros of doing it manually
- Free except your time - no tools, no accounts.
- You learn the job deeply and control every detail.
- No data leaves your hands.
Cons of doing it manually
- days per raise - every single time the job runs.
- Quality depends on your energy that day.
- More volume just means more hours; it does not scale.
Way 2: with AI, but without AI Agent Skills (DIY prompting)
A chat assistant genuinely helps here. The catch is that you become the workflow designer. What you have to figure out yourself:
- You must write your thesis tightly or every match looks plausible.
- You must demand evidence with sources, or the list is names without reasons.
- You must keep sending manual - investor emails under your name need your eyes.
Here is a starter prompt that works - copy it and bring the inputs listed:
Find 15 investors matching this fundraising thesis: [paste stage, sector, geography, check size]. Per investor: name, firm, one-line thesis match, evidence with source, LinkedIn URL. Then draft a first-touch note for my top 3. Do not send anything.More on this prompt: the free ai investor outreach for founders prompt page.
Pros of DIY prompting
- Free, or nearly - any chat assistant works.
- A first draft in minutes instead of hours.
- Fully flexible: tweak the prompt for any edge case.
Cons of DIY prompting
- You become the workflow designer: prompts, test data and output rules are yours to write, test and maintain.
- Output drifts between sessions unless you re-paste the rules every run.
- Nothing is saved for you - sheets, structure and context are rebuilt each time.
Way 3: with AI Agent Skills (free, Free)
The Investor Outreach Agent is this job already designed: fixed evidence rules, output contract, test fixtures and stop points. You ask once:
Hello, find investors that match this fundraising thesis
And a finished, review-ready artifact lands in your own Drive:
| Investor | Thesis match | Evidence | Draft | Approval status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mira Shah (Vertex Peak) | Seed, vertical SaaS, $500k-$1M checks | Led 3 recruiting-tools rounds; thesis post mentions hiring automation | Draft: intro referencing her hiring-automation thesis + our 312 weekly active teams | Ready for review |
| Daniel Okafor (Northline) | Pre-seed, B2B workflow, first check | Portfolio has no HR tooling; co-invested with Vertex Peak twice | Draft: short note with MRR and burn multiple, asks for 20 min | Needs your intro line |
Sample data shown. Your workspace fills with your real work.
Setup takes about 10 minutes: download, hand the Included files to the assistant you already use (Instinct, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other assistant that reads files), approve the fictional-data test. Then it runs on a standing cycle or a one-line ask, and stops at every human gate. Full method.
Pros of the ready-made agent
- About 10 minutes to a tested setup, not an afternoon of prompt tuning.
- The same output shape every run - evidence rules and stop points are already designed.
- Runs on a standing cycle or a one-line ask; files land in your own Drive.
Cons of the ready-made agent
- Costs free, where DIY prompting is free.
- The output format is opinionated - you adapt the template rather than rebuild it.
- It still stops and waits for your approval at decision points; it is not zero-touch.
The honest comparison
| Way 1: manual | Way 2: DIY AI | Way 3: free agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to first result | days per raise | An afternoon of prompt tuning | About 10 minutes, tested setup |
| Every run after | Same hours, every time | Re-paste the rules, sheet and context each run | One short ask, or a standing cycle |
| Consistency | Depends on the day | Drifts between sessions | Same output shape every run |
| Cost | Your hours | Free, plus your time | Free, files kept forever |
The manual way teaches you the job. DIY prompting is fine for a one-off. The agent wins when the job repeats every week.
More: the Investor Outreach Agent product page · the AI investor outreach for founders guide · AI agents for founders
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to build an investor outreach list?
The free ready-made agent: about 10 minutes of setup, then one short ask per run. Manual takes days per raise; DIY prompting takes an afternoon of tuning plus upkeep.
Can I build an investor outreach list without AI?
Yes - the manual steps are on this page. Expect days per raise each time the job runs.
Is the free agent worth it over DIY prompting?
If the job repeats weekly, yes: you stop rebuilding prompts and re-pasting context every run. For a one-off, DIY prompting is fine and free.
Last updated 13 September 2026 · Reviewed by the AI Agent Skills team.