Colin Thursday Prep Brief

Context · Read First

What we know about Colin's likely approach

Colin is methodical, due-diligent, and pattern-matches to "is this a real company before I commit." Heart-based and relationship-driven, but more cautious than Josh. He has already received the deck plus exec summary v3. He has the term sheet now. He has been engaged from day one and explicitly asked for a sooner-than-Saturday meeting.

His likely intentions sit somewhere on this spectrum: invest personally at deck terms, invest less plus operational involvement, not invest personally but bring his naturopath angel friend, or some combination. He may also want to scope the parallel corporate events business you discussed.

Anchor terms are locked. $30K for 10% at $300K pre-money is preserved from the deck. Do not renegotiate this downward under any circumstances. Those terms are 3x more favorable than what other investors are seeing at $1M pre-money. That is your message: he is being honored for being first.

Opening · Set the Frame

How to start the call

Opener after pleasantries: "Thanks for making the time. I want to use this hour to do two things: lock in what role you want to play in Affirmology, and explore the broader business stuff we have been talking about including the corporate events vehicle. Let's start with where you are after digesting the materials I sent. What is sitting with you?"

That opens the door for him to drive the conversation. Listen for which scenario below he is landing in. Then move to scripts.

Scenarios · How Thursday Might Go

Six paths and how to respond to each

Scenario 1

Colin personally invests $30K + Active Role

Signals: "I want in," "I can write that check," "Let me confirm details and send the wire."

Terms to offer: Anchor tier ($30K for 10% at $300K pre-money). Plus advisor equity (1-2% vesting over 2 years) for active strategic work. Optional board seat by mutual choice.

Your script:

Perfect. Anchor terms are locked: $30K for 10%, your deck offer honored. On top of that, I want to formalize an advisor equity grant of 1 to 2 percent vesting over 2 years for the strategic work I know you are going to do. Want a board seat as part of this? I would love it but it is your call.

Scenario 2

Colin invests less + Active Role + Brings Investors

Signals: "Maybe $10K to $20K is more realistic right now," "I want to be involved but the check size needs to be smaller."

Terms to offer: Proportional Anchor terms ($10K = 3.3%, $20K = 6.7% at $300K pre-money). Plus advisor equity (1-2%) for active role. Plus finder's fee structure for investors he brings (0.5% advisor equity per qualified investor he closes for the round).

Your script:

If $20K works better for you, you get 6.7% at Anchor terms, which is still better per dollar than anyone else in this round. Plus advisor equity for the strategic role. Plus we can do a finder's fee structure: for every qualified investor you bring who closes, you get 0.5% additional advisor equity. That motivates you to bring me your network and rewards you for it.

Scenario 3

Colin doesn't invest personally, brings the Naturopath Angel

Signals: "I want to introduce you to my friend but I am not personally writing a check right now," "I would rather connect you than write a check myself."

Terms to offer: Advisor equity (0.5-1% over 2 years) plus finder's fee structure (0.5-1% per major check brought to close). No requirement to invest personally.

Your script:

Totally cool with that, and I want your help bringing in the naturopath angel. Let me make you an advisor with 1% equity vesting over 2 years, and we structure a finder's fee where you get 0.5% additional advisor equity for every qualified investor of $25K or more that you introduce and closes. No requirement that you put in your own money. Your relationships and judgment are worth this on their own.

Scenario 4

Colin wants Operational Role (Head of Enterprise / Events)

Signals: "I want to be more than an advisor," "I see myself owning a piece of this operationally," "I want this to be my legacy work."

Terms to offer: Significant operator equity grant (3-5%) vesting over 3 to 4 years. Salary kicks in at defined revenue threshold. Board seat. Specific operational ownership (enterprise sales, corporate events, partnerships). Plus optional investor stake if he wants both.

Your script:

Yes. Let's design this real. You take ownership of enterprise sales and the corporate events channel. 3 to 5 percent equity vesting over 3 to 4 years. Salary kicks in at, say, $30K monthly revenue. Board seat. If you also want to put $20K to $30K in at Anchor terms on top of that, you are an operator-investor. This is where I think your energy actually wants to go.

Scenario 5

Colin pushes back on terms or asks for different structure

Signals: Concerns about the $300K cap, asks for liquidation preference, wants different equity treatment, hesitates about Wyoming LLC.

How to handle: Lean on the fact that Anchor terms are already the best in the round. Address specific concerns honestly. If he wants liquidation preference or pro-rata rights, those are negotiable add-ons.

Your script:

Talk to me about what's behind the hesitation. The deck terms I am offering you are 3x more favorable than anything other investors are seeing. Specific things you want changed, I am open to. Liquidation preference, pro-rata rights, those are all available add-ons. But the valuation itself I want to keep at Anchor terms because that is what was promised.

Scenario 6

Colin mostly relationship and network, light involvement

Signals: He is enthusiastic but evasive about specifics, "I want to stay in the orbit," "I will help where I can but I am stretched right now."

Terms to offer: Light advisor equity (0.5% over 2 years). Quarterly check-ins. Finder's fee on investors brought. No operational commitment.

Your script:

I get that. Let's keep it light then. 0.5% advisor equity, quarterly check-ins, finder's fee for investors you connect us with. No operational expectation. You stay in the orbit, I get your wisdom when I need it, your network helps the round close.

Strategic · Telling Colin About Josh

Should you mention Josh and the $800K?

Short answer: name the momentum, not the name. Do not name Josh specifically or mention the $800K figure on Thursday. Josh has not committed yet (Sunday). Naming him before he is in creates premature pressure and could backfire if Josh decides not to invest. It also makes Colin feel less special.

What you CAN say: "I have several conversations happening right now. The round is starting to take shape. Other investors I am talking to are looking at $1M pre-money valuation, which makes your Anchor terms at $300K materially better. That is your reward for being first."

This validates Colin's terms, creates appropriate urgency, and respects Josh's process.

If Colin asks directly ("Who else is talking to you?"): be honest but contained. "I am meeting with another potential investor Sunday who is enthusiastic and has significant capital to deploy. I will know more after that. I want your role nailed down first though, because you have been engaged from day one."

If Josh commits Sunday: totally fine to call Colin Monday morning and update him. "Sunday went well. Major investor coming in. Let's finalize your role this week so we close clean." That is good news, validates the deal, and respects Colin's first-mover status.

Parallel Business · Corporate Events

When and how to bring this up

Bring up the corporate events vehicle in the second half of the conversation, once the Affirmology piece has direction. Frame it as a separate vehicle, separate cap table, conceptual stage only.

Your script: "Beyond Affirmology, I have been thinking about a separate vehicle for corporate events and mid-level company experiences. You and I talked about this last time. Josh Parini might also be aligned with this. I want to scope out what that vehicle could look like as a separate company, separate cap table. Different role mix. Different economics. Not committing to anything today. Want to whiteboard what it could be?"

What to explore conceptually:

Target customer: mid-tier companies (not Fortune 500, not tiny startups) wanting employee wellness and human-connection experiences for their teams.
Product: retreat-style and one-day immersive events. Non-plant-medicine (mostly) so it works for corporate. Optional plant-medicine upsell for individual EO-level founders.
Differentiation: heart-based, deep human connection work. Not the standard corporate wellness offering. Founder-led facilitation initially.
Equity split (conceptual only): if Colin and Josh both come in, something like 40 Jeff / 30 Colin / 30 Josh is in the ballpark, but do not commit to numbers Thursday.
Timing: formalize after Affirmology is funded. Concept work happens this summer.

This is a relationship-building conversation, not a deal-closing one. Plant the seed. See how he responds. If he lights up, you have your second potential venture with Colin. If he is cautious, you learn his bandwidth limits before committing.

Key Questions · Things to Ask Colin Directly

The questions that surface his real intent

"Now that you have had time to look at the materials, what role configuration feels right? Investor, advisor, operator, some combination?"
"What about the naturopath angel friend you mentioned? Could we get something on his calendar within two weeks?"
"What concerns or questions have come up since our last conversation that we have not surfaced yet?"
"What does your decision timeline look like? End of week, two weeks, by Omaha?"
"On the corporate events idea: is that something you want to formalize together as a separate vehicle?"
"What would it take for you to fully say yes to whatever role lights you up?"

Watch For · Things Not To Do

Pitfalls to avoid

Do not:

Renegotiate his deck terms downward under any circumstances. Anchor terms are locked.
Name Josh or the $800K figure specifically before Josh commits. "Other investors" is fine.
Pressure Colin to decide on the call. He pattern-matches negatively to that.
Compare him explicitly to Josh in any way. Both can be in.
Promise specific cap table positions before he commits.
Get distracted by the corporate events conversation so deep that you lose the Affirmology investment focus.
Move too fast on the corporate events vehicle. Concept stage only Thursday.
Accept "I will think about it" as a final answer. Press gently for a target date when he will decide.

Real-Time Consult · Zoom Notes

If you want Claude on standby during the call

You said you might record the call and consult Claude in real time. A few notes on how to do this effectively:

Use a separate Claude tab or window open before the call starts. Have this brief loaded.
When something unexpected comes up, type the gist into Claude with: "Colin just said X. How should I respond given the scenarios in the Colin Prep Brief?"
Common unexpected questions Colin might ask:
- "What if we never raise enough? What happens to my investment?" → Distribution path covers this. Reference the Stall path in exec summary.
- "What if Sol and you split up?" → Romantic dissolution clause. Reference Sol's brief.
- "What is your personal financial situation right now?" → Be honest. You have debt, need to move. Round capital includes founder runway that covers this.
- "Have you checked the Affirmology trademark?" → USPTO search shows availability. Filing concurrent with LLC formation.
If you lose your bearings: say "Let me think about that, give me 30 seconds" and reference your notes. He will respect deliberation over a panicked answer.

The meta-rule for the call: your goal is to leave the meeting with Colin's decision crystallized to one of the six scenarios. If he is between scenarios, that is OK, but get clear on which two he is between and what would make him pick. Specifics matter more than enthusiasm.