You owe investors a monthly update and you've missed two months. The thought of starting from scratch every month is what blocks you. The fix: a template you fill in, not a document you write.
Twenty-five minutes, every month, on autopilot.
Write the update from a template
Keep an investor update template — same sections each month: headline, KPIs, wins, lows, asks. Open the previous month's update, save as new, update each section. Twenty minutes of writing.
The template carries the work. You're updating numbers and narrative, not designing a document.
Export to PDF and add the cover
Export the Doc/Notion/Word file to PDF. Open in Flint edit to update the cover page if needed — month, year, recipient. Five seconds.
Keep the cover clean: company name, 'Investor Update — August 2025', logo. The cover is the first thing investors see; treat it like one.
Compress and protect
Investor updates often contain financial data that shouldn't leak. Compress to under 5 MB, then password-protect if you share by email.
For large investor lists, use a data room or update tool (Carta, Visible, Pulse) rather than email. The PDF is the artefact; distribution is separate.
Distribute via the channel you committed to
Whatever you promised investors — email, update tool, Slack channel — stick to it. The PDF goes to that channel, on the same day each month if possible.
Consistency matters more than perfection. Investors value the cadence.
FAQ
Should updates be PDFs or in-tool (Visible, Carta)?
Both work — many founders send both, with the PDF as a permanent record. The PDF is also what investors forward to their LPs, so make it stand alone.
How sensitive is investor update content?
Quite — revenue, cash balance, fundraising plans, hiring. Password-protect and only email to confirmed investor addresses. For new investors, send via a secure channel after confirming identity.
What about appendices like cap tables?
Separate PDF, sent only to those entitled to it (usually existing shareholders). Don't include in the general update.
How long should updates be?
2–4 pages plus optional appendices. Brevity respects investor time and forces clear thinking.
Monthly updates are a cadence, not a project. Run this month's in Flint and put next month in the calendar.