# Investor Update > Creates monthly investor update emails with metrics, highlights, challenges, and asks in a standard format. Use when sending regular updates to investors or advisors. - Skill: `reaperinvest/investor-update` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/investor-update` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/investor-update/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/investor-update --- # Investor Update ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Write a monthly or quarterly investor update email - Report metrics, wins, challenges, and asks in a standardized format - Maintain transparency and trust with investors and advisors - Create a reusable template for ongoing investor communications **DO NOT** use this skill for pitch decks, fundraising materials, or board presentations. This is for regular update communications to existing investors. --- ## Core Principle INVESTOR UPDATES BUILD TRUST THROUGH CONSISTENCY AND TRANSPARENCY — SHARE BOTH WINS AND CHALLENGES, AND ALWAYS INCLUDE A SPECIFIC ASK. --- ## Phase 1: Update Inputs ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Reporting period** | "What month/quarter is this update for?" | Previous month | | **Key metrics** | "What are your core metrics? (MRR, users, revenue, growth rate)" | No default — must be provided | | **Top wins** | "What were the 2-3 biggest wins this period?" | No default — must be provided | | **Challenges** | "What are the biggest challenges or risks right now?" | No default — must be provided | | **Asks** | "What do you need help with from investors? (intros, advice, hiring)" | No default — at least one ask | | **Cash position** | "What is your current cash balance and runway?" | No default — must be provided | **GATE: Do not proceed without metrics, wins, challenges, and cash position.** --- ## Phase 2: Update Structure ### Standard Investor Update Format ``` Subject: [Company Name] — [Month Year] Update --- Hi [investors/team], [1-2 sentence summary of the month — the headline version] ## Key Metrics | Metric | This Month | Last Month | MoM Change | |--------|-----------|------------|------------| | MRR/Revenue | $[X] | $[X] | +/-[X]% | | Customers/Users | [X] | [X] | +/-[X]% | | [Key Metric 3] | [X] | [X] | +/-[X]% | | Cash Balance | $[X] | $[X] | | | Runway | [X] months | [X] months | | ## Highlights 1. **[Win 1]** — [2-3 sentence description with specific impact] 2. **[Win 2]** — [2-3 sentence description] 3. **[Win 3]** — [2-3 sentence description] ## Challenges 1. **[Challenge 1]** — [What it is + what you are doing about it] 2. **[Challenge 2]** — [What it is + what you are doing about it] ## Product/Business Update [2-3 sentences on what shipped, what is in progress, or what strategic decisions were made this month] ## Asks I could use your help with: 1. **[Specific ask]** — [Context on why and what a good outcome looks like] 2. **[Specific ask]** — [Context] ## What's Next [2-3 bullet points on priorities for next month] --- Thanks for your continued support. [Your name] [Company] ``` --- ## Phase 3: Tone and Content Guidelines ### What to Include - **Metrics:** Always include the same metrics every month for trendability - **Context:** Raw numbers without context are useless. "$50K MRR" means nothing — "$50K MRR, up 15% from $43.5K, driven by enterprise deal" means everything. - **Honesty on challenges:** Investors respect founders who identify problems early. Hiding bad news erodes trust. - **Specific asks:** "Can you introduce me to..." is better than "looking for connections." Make it easy for investors to help. ### Tone - Confident but honest — not spin, not doom - Data-driven — claims backed by numbers - Concise — aim for 500 words maximum. Investors read dozens of updates. - Professional but personal — sign off warmly, acknowledge their support --- ## Phase 4: Delivery ### Final Checklist ``` - [ ] All metrics are accurate and match financial records - [ ] Metrics are consistent with prior updates (same format, same KPIs) - [ ] At least 1 specific, actionable ask - [ ] Cash position and runway are current - [ ] Challenges section is honest and includes mitigation plans - [ ] Email is under 500 words - [ ] Sent within the first week of the new month ``` ### Delivery Notes - Send as a plain-text email (not a PDF attachment) - BCC investors if they do not know each other, CC if they do - Store a copy in your records for reference - Track which investors respond — engaged investors are your best resource --- ## Example: SaaS Startup Monthly Update **Subject:** Acme AI — January 2026 Update **Summary:** "January was our best month yet — $32K MRR (up 22%), landed our first enterprise customer, and shipped the API integration that was blocking 3 deals." **Metrics:** MRR $32K (+22%), customers 145 (+18), NRR 112%, cash $180K, runway 8 months. **Highlight:** "Closed a $2,400/mo enterprise deal with [Company] — our first customer over $1K MRR. This validates the enterprise pricing tier we launched in December." **Challenge:** "Churn ticked up to 4.2% from 3.1%. Root cause: onboarding friction for non-technical users. We are shipping a guided setup wizard by Feb 15." **Ask:** "Looking for an intro to a Head of Sales candidate with SaaS experience. If anyone in your network is exploring, I would love an introduction." --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Skipping months when things are bad** — silence signals problems. The worst months need updates the most. - **All highlights, no challenges** — investors see through spin. Include at least one honest challenge. - **Changing metrics every month** — pick 3-5 core metrics and report them identically each month for trend visibility. - **No ask** — investors want to help. If you never ask, they assume you do not need them. - **Long-winded narratives** — keep it under 500 words. Save the deep dives for board meetings. --- ## Recovery - **Embarrassing month (revenue down, churn up):** Lead with what happened, what you learned, and what you are doing about it. Investors back founders who respond to adversity. - **No investors yet (sending to advisors):** Same format works. Advisors appreciate structured updates and clear asks. - **First update ever:** Send an introductory email explaining you will send monthly updates and what to expect. Include a brief company overview. - **Behind on updates:** Send a "catch-up" update covering the missed period. Acknowledge the gap. Resume monthly cadence immediately.