70% do not get back

No, founders don’t think that the email might have got lost, or that you’re super busy. They think you’re a jerk. They also run CRMs logging contacts and responses. Not getting back is the worst thing you can do.

25% get back with a template email

Normally it’s something like:

5% do it the right way

They do get back with personalized feedback AND suggestions that may include among others:

• Why we can’t move forward right now;
• What may change our minds in the future;
  
• Who are the investors that might be interested at this stage;
  

I guess plenty of VCs don’t realize that founders do communicate as well. If you’re here for the long term and want to be the first point of contact for great future founders — deal with your inbounds in a nice manner. It differentiates you from the other 95% straight away and creates a good foundation for years to come.