# Investor Relations

> When to activate: investor relations program, shareholder communications, quarterly reporting, earnings calls, analyst relations, investor FAQ, IR calendar, cap table communications

- Skill: `mattakushi432/investor-relations` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mattakushi432/investor-relations`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mattakushi432/investor-relations/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: Mattakushi432 (https://skillmd.com/u/mattakushi432)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mattakushi432/investor-relations

---


# Investor Relations

## IR Calendar (Annual)

### Q1
- Jan: FY prior year preliminary results (if public)
- Jan–Feb: Annual report / shareholder letter drafting
- Feb: Board meeting — annual plan approval
- Mar: Annual earnings call / investor day (public) or annual LP update (private)

### Q2
- Apr: Q1 earnings / investor update
- May: Annual proxy statement filing (public)
- Jun: Shareholder meeting (public) / mid-year LP update (private)

### Q3
- Jul: Q2 earnings / investor update
- Aug: Board offsite — strategic review
- Sep: Investor conference season (tech, vertical-specific)

### Q4
- Oct: Q3 earnings / investor update
- Nov–Dec: Budget and guidance planning
- Dec: Year-end close preparation, annual shareholder letter drafting

---

## Quarterly Investor Update (Private Company)

### Structure Template
```
Subject: [Company] — Q[N] [YYYY] Investor Update

Dear Investors,

[2-sentence executive summary: headline metric + one key development]

**Business Highlights**
- ARR: $Xm (+Y% QoQ, +Z% YoY)
- Net Revenue Retention: X%
- New customers: N (Y enterprise, Z mid-market)
- Churn: X% (logo) / Y% (revenue)

**Product**
- Shipped: [3–5 bullet points of meaningful releases]
- In progress: [top 2–3 initiatives for next quarter]

**Go-to-Market**
- Pipeline: $Xm (X% YoY)
- CAC payback: X months
- Top wins this quarter: [2–3 notable logos if shareable]

**Team**
- Headcount: N (+ X QoQ)
- Key hires: [Name, role]
- Open roles: [link to jobs page]

**Financials**
- Revenue: $Xm (+Y% YoY)
- Gross margin: X%
- Burn: $Xm/month
- Runway: X months at current burn
- Cash: $Xm

**Asks**
1. [Specific intro or help needed]
2. [Reference check or market intel request]

Next update: [date]
[Name]
```

---

## Earnings Call Preparation (Public Companies)

### Preparation Timeline
| Days before | Activity |
|------------|----------|
| D-30 | Sync CFO, CEO on messaging priorities |
| D-21 | First draft of prepared remarks |
| D-14 | Q&A prep session with executives |
| D-10 | Legal review of all materials |
| D-7 | Slide deck finalized |
| D-3 | Full dress rehearsal (60 min) |
| D-1 | Final talking points review |
| D-0 | Call, then transcript review within 24h |

### Prepared Remarks Structure
1. Safe harbor disclaimer (legal boilerplate)
2. CEO opening: quarter narrative + strategic highlights (5–7 min)
3. CFO: detailed financials + guidance (5–7 min)
4. CEO: closing + forward look (1–2 min)
5. Q&A (30–45 min)

### Q&A Preparation
- Compile 40+ anticipated questions from: sell-side analysts, past calls, news cycle
- Draft concise answers (30–60 seconds each)
- Identify 3–5 "landmine" questions; rehearse bridge language
- Prepare "no comment" / "future quarter" deflections for premature topics
- Practice: CEO answers strategic, CFO answers financial/guidance

---

## Analyst Relations

### Analyst Briefing Process
1. Identify relevant analysts (Gartner, Forrester, IDC, boutique)
2. Request briefing 4–6 weeks before major announcement
3. Briefing format: 45 min (20 min demo/overview, 25 min Q&A)
4. Leave-behind: one-pager, customer quotes, data points
5. Follow up within 48h with requested materials
6. Track analyst coverage and sentiment in CRM

### Analyst Influence Actions
| Action | Frequency | Owner |
|--------|-----------|-------|
| Analyst briefing | Quarterly minimum | CEO/CMO |
| Magic Quadrant submission | Annual | Product + Marketing |
| Wave / MarketScape participation | Per analyst cycle | Product |
| Customer reference provision | On request | CS |
| Analyst event sponsorship | Selective | Marketing |

---

## Shareholder Communications

### Communication Principles
1. **Consistency** — same metrics, same definitions, every period
2. **Transparency** — share bad news early; frame with context and plan
3. **Brevity** — investors read hundreds of updates; be concise
4. **Actionability** — every update ends with specific asks

### Message Segmentation
| Investor type | Frequency | Format | Depth |
|--------------|-----------|--------|-------|
| Lead VC (board) | Monthly 1:1 + board meeting | Detailed metrics + narrative | Full |
| VC (no board seat) | Quarterly | Written update | Standard |
| Angel / strategic | Quarterly or semi-annual | Written update | Condensed |
| LP (if fund) | Quarterly | LP report per fund docs | Per agreement |

### Bad News Protocol
1. Call before writing — never surprise via email
2. Lead with facts: what happened, when discovered
3. Explain root cause: why it happened
4. Present plan: concrete steps being taken
5. Set timeline for next update on resolution
6. Acknowledge impact on metrics/guidance

---

## Investor FAQ Management

### Evergreen FAQ Topics
- Why this market? (TAM, timing thesis)
- Why now? (tailwinds enabling product)
- Why you? (differentiation, moat)
- Unit economics (CAC, LTV, payback)
- Competitive landscape (who, how you win)
- Go-to-market (motion, channels, efficiency)
- Team background (relevant experience)
- Use of funds (allocation and milestones)
- Exit / liquidity path (for VC investors)

### FAQ Maintenance
- Review and update after each board meeting
- Assign version numbers with dates
- Ensure CEO, CFO, and board are aligned on all answers
- Legal review for public companies on forward-looking statements

---

## Investor Data Room

### Standard Contents
```
/Company Overview
  - Executive summary (1 pager)
  - Pitch deck (current)
  - Company overview doc

/Financials
  - P&L (monthly actuals + monthly budget, 3 years)
  - Balance sheet (quarterly)
  - Cash flow statement
  - Cap table (fully diluted)
  - Saas metrics dashboard

/Legal
  - Certificate of incorporation
  - Stockholder agreements
  - Voting agreements
  - IP assignments
  - Material contracts (redacted)

/Product
  - Product roadmap (confidential)
  - Architecture overview

/Team
  - Org chart
  - Key employee bios
  - Open roles

/Market
  - Market research / TAM analysis
  - Competitive landscape
```

### Data Room Security
- Use dedicated VDR (Docsend, Datasite, Carta)
- Set per-document access and expiry
- Track page-by-page engagement — signals interest areas
- Never email financial documents directly
- Revoke access immediately after process ends