FAQ on how to contact me (and maybe others)

I am in the very fortunate position on one hand of having many people contacting me every day, on the other hand the reason why most do that, is because of my historical ability (attempt), to protect my time. Given that I am far from the only struggling between wanting to speak with every person I meet, and having to stay focused and prioritise my time, I thought I would share this FAQ on how to get in touch with me (it maybe it also works for others).

Please note that is only for people wanting to speak with me, and I would not waste your time otherwise (having it linkedin, just allows me to use it when I reply on linkedin messages a bit easier)

1. Want to sell me/us something? I have a process for buying things for me and our companies that is: we get a need, we contact people we know for their reference when we need something, and then we contact the firms that they recommend (once in a while friends recommend me something before we experience the need so getting friends to recommend things may work if we trust them, but being another of 50 people trying to sell me something every day, you could be giving me free gold, and wouldn't see it). Therefore for us, to save your inbox we will not reply to those that write us to sell something.
2. Want to be our recruiter? We use Ethan Partners for recruiting, and are not looking for a recruiting firm (and when we would, like above we would go off recommendations, and those that are too busy to chase us on linkedin - sorry but just being honest). If you want to be a recruiter yourself (great idea!), then please write Ann-Christine Roope about joining Ethan Partners, it is perhaps the best digital growth recruiting firm out there. If you write to recruit me for something, then please note that I have the last "job" I will ever have, and therefore I am not interested in anything other than board positions.
3. Want an introduction from me? To make sure my introductions are of value and I am not just a provider of email addresses, I need to make sure that every introduction is great. Therefore, I only make introductions for people that I actually know very well, and only if they email me. However, for those who I know well, and can recommend, I will make all the introductions in the world.
4. Want my feedback on your idea/business? I would love nothing more than to provide feedback on your idea, because I know how helpful it can be and many have helped me. Due to lack of time trying to run +10 companies and be a father, son, boyfriend, and friend, I can currently only provide feedback on business ideas for the time being to close personal friends, and only if they call me (I will tell myself that I will reply to your email tomorrow, and just simply know that I will forget it).
5. Want to sell your company? If you are looking to sell your company, then we are interested in one kind of acquisition opportunities - those that fit strategically very well with my existing companies and is very well priced. If you match this, then do email me.
6. Want me/us to invest? We and I do not invest. Nova and I personally do not invest in anything that we are not the founders of. This is our strategy, and does not matter how great the idea is. Still want to work with us? then see 9) (btw, linkedin is a horrible place to approach investors that actually invest).
7. Want to partner with us? Couple of options: a) you would really like to sell us something, see 1) - b) you would really like us to invest, see 6) - c) you would like to invest in our companies, see 8 - d) you would like to work with us, see 9.
8. Want to invest with us? If you are looking to invest with us, then please get an introduction from a mutual friend/one of our existing investors (the reason is that of the people on LinkedIn saying that would like to invest, 1/100 are real and invest).
9. Want to work with our companies? We would most likely also love to work with you as well! To ensure we reply with the right opportunities for you (we are very targetted), we have a few requirements before we can get back to you (even if you replied to a social media/job posting). Email me/us: your resume, tell me/us in the email which company you would like to work for, where (fine to have many geographies), what position (fine to put in high-level position) and why this is exciting. Please note we, like I think most others, only look at nice, well written (short is fine) and personal emails, that include the before mentioned information. That way we know you will represent our companies equally well. Should you have done this, and we have not answered you in 7 days, then I am sorry, and please follow up (I really am very sorry, this is unacceptable of us). Should your email be missing any of the before mentioned information, then to save your time we will not reply (honestly, it’s just a way of funnelling people out who can not follow the instructions, just like I purposely say email me, and do not give my email so that it requires a little bit of work :). To not waste the senders time, please note that we will never answer requests that lack basic standards like the receiver’s name, reference to what it is about, is not polite, only has a subject, etc., as we simply would not hire that person anyways.
10. Want to work with Nova? First of all, thank you. Second of all, please note that Nova does not invest like a traditional VC. Also, we do not have strategy positions, M&A, or anything similar. Instead, we only hire people, who want to work super hard, be really involved in building companies and travel the world. We prefer people who have a stellar track record of top 1% in everything they have done, have worked 5-15 years for Goldman Sachs (I have a secret crush on people who have worked at Goldman because they just know how to work super hard and structured), another top IB, consulting firm or PE, or another top quality firm. As we only hire 1-2 people per year for Nova, we will consider all applications for Nova, also as applications for our companies. If you are not interested in working for our companies, then you should not apply, as that is what we do. For other notes on how to apply, please see 9)
11. Want to start a company with us? In general, we do not look for founders/CEO/MD, but look for people who want to work with an awesome company (see 9), if they so happen to be the right person for a founder/CEO/MD role, then we hire them for this. Only exception is, if you are following up on a social media post. If so, then please follow the steps in 9).

?Some other basics ideas on how to contact me, and I think others:

• use my name: if you do not write my name in the email, then 95% of the time it means you sent the same email to 100 other people, which makes me uninterested
• start with "hi": if you cannot be polite enough to write "hi" every time, then I worry about your general way of interaction and am not interested
• do not assume: some people get mad when I have not replied to their first, second or hundred email. Who wants to speak with someone that is mad, or dare to have them represent their company or business. I am used to not getting replies from investors, and I am always as polite as ever
• make it short: long emails mean I do not read them right away, and what I do not read and reply to right away, I usually never reply to. Therefore, make your emails short
• make it count: you have one chance to make a first impression, so make it count. Think through each sentence and word, what is the image you want to make, and make it relevant for me (read: I delete generic emails).

Yours,

Mads