One Person, One Check, Big Impact

The Salespreneur
Jul 25
3 min read

Why Solo GPs Like Elad Gil Are Reshaping Startup Fundraising—and What Founders Should Do About It

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Summary

Explore the rise of powerful solo VCs who make fast, independent decisions without traditional committees. This article helps founders position themselves strategically when pitching solo GPs: how to articulate narrative-driven ops, ultra-lean teams, and responsive roadmaps in a way that appeals to a nimble investor mindset.

When Elad Gil writes a check, there’s no committee call, no Monday partner meeting, and certainly no internal debate over carry splits. The rise of the solo general partner—or solo GP—has quietly shifted the dynamics of startup fundraising, especially at the seed and early-growth stages. These are venture capitalists with the capital, credibility, and conviction to back a founder independently. No boardroom required.

Founders looking to raise capital in 2025 must understand that pitching a solo GP is a fundamentally different exercise than pitching a traditional venture firm. The rules are faster. The stakes are sharper. And the expectations? Much more narrative-driven.

What Makes a Solo GP So Different?

Solo GPs like Elad Gil, Shrug Capital’s Josh Buckley, and Pejman Nozad of Pear VC fame operate at breakneck speed. They often deploy personal capital or raise funds under their own name, making them accountable only to their own thesis.

As TechCrunch notes, solo GPs increasingly dominate pre-seed and seed-stage deals, often beating traditional firms by being faster and more founder-friendly.

A 2023 Carta report showed that solo GPs now participate in over 30% of all seed-stage U.S. deals, a jump from just 12% five years ago. And with portfolios averaging 20–40 investments per year, they’re not sitting around waiting for consensus.

“The best solo capitalists are decision-making machines,” said Elad Gil in a recent podcast interview with Lenny Rachitsky. “They can take a pitch in the morning and wire by the afternoon.”

What This Means for Founders

If you're preparing to pitch a solo VC, forget the 40-slide deck. Instead, focus on narrative clarity, speed, and strategic alignment. Here’s how:

1. Keep Your Pitch Lean and Story-Driven

Solo VCs have limited time and often rely on intuition shaped by pattern recognition. Think two things: clarity and confidence.

Frame your story like a media-worthy startup:

What problem are you solving?
Why you?
Why now?

Better yet, link these into a founder-market fit storyline, which a16z calls “one of the most compelling parts of any early pitch.”

2. Demonstrate Agility in Operations

Solo GPs admire founders who make decisions quickly and with confidence—just like they do. That means:

Ultra-lean ops
Small, high-output teams
Clear, flexible roadmaps

Think less about listing features and more about demonstrating tempo. Highlight how your team ships fast, iterates responsibly, and communicates clearly.

"Agile startups attract agile investors," says Nikhil Basu Trivedi of Footwork. "It’s not just about speed—it’s about conviction."

Solo GPs made up 35% of new seed investors in 2024, according to PitchBook.

3. Tailor Your Materials for a Single Brain

Solo GPs aren’t pitching your deal to other partners. They’re not forwarding your deck up the chain. You’re talking directly to the decision-maker—so speak their language. That means:

Using clean, metrics-forward slides
Highlighting how you’ve validated your ideas
Presenting a clear path to defensibility or traction

Include key charts and TAM/SAM/SOM visuals, but don't drown them in bullet points. Give just enough to stir curiosity.

The Founder-Investor Alignment Trap

Solo GPs are also more emotionally aligned with founders. Many are former operators. They value chemistry and trust over polish. But that means founders must be real. No overpromising. No jargon. Just honest signals that you’re building something worthwhile—and you’ll still be around in two years.

Elad Gil often says he looks for people who are "weird in useful ways", not just repeat founders with Ivy League pedigrees.

The Bottom Line

The solo GP era isn’t just a trend—it’s a new normal in early-stage funding. For founders, this means adjusting your pitch materials, your communication speed, and even your product cadence to match a new kind of VC.

They’re faster. They’re riskier. They’re often more aligned with your vision.

And they only need one reason to say yes.

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