Briggs AnalyticsFree tool · Closing a company
The hardest email a founder ever writes
Telling your investors you are shutting down is hard enough without staring at a blank page. Fill in a few facts and get a clear, kind draft you can make your own.
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How this works
Four steps, about as many minutes.
- Fill in the company, why, when and what is left.
- Say what happens to the team and what is next for you.
- Get a clear, kind draft.
- Copy it, make it sound like you and send it.
What a good final update does
Investors who have backed a company that closes mostly want three things from the founder: the truth, told plainly and early, a clear picture of what happens next, and some sign that the founder handled the end with care. A good final update does all three in about a page.
It says what happened without blame. It explains what is left, like cash, assets and obligations, and what will happen to each. It says what happens to the team. It thanks people by name where it can. And it ends with what the founder is doing next, because many investors would back the same founder again.
What investors will ask
Whether there is any money coming back, when the company will be formally dissolved, who to contact with questions, and whether anything of value is being sold, like the code, the domain or the company's records. The draft leaves room for each.
One line worth adding
If the company's records may have value, it is worth saying you are looking into it. Investors appreciate a founder who tries to recover something before closing the doors.
Questions about this tool.
How long should it be?
About a page. Long enough to answer the obvious questions and short enough to read in two minutes.
Should I say why it failed?
Briefly and honestly, without blaming anyone. One or two sentences is enough.
Is this written by a template or by you?
It is a template filled with your answers. Nothing is sent anywhere, and you should edit it to sound like you.
When should I send it?
As soon as the decision is made, before investors hear it from someone else.
See what your company's records could be worth.
Costs you nothing · five quick questions · about a minute · no files
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