I recently shared my thoughts on the value that investors offer aside from investing capital and the importance of founders building relationships with investors early. You want those relationships to be healthy, which I believe includes their being bidirectional. I discussed this in more depth with a founder and was asked how someone new to entrepreneurship can add value to a relationship with an experienced investor. It was a great question.

Founders often have deep knowledge in their space. They’re on the front lines, so they can spot trends and challenges before others are aware of them. They may notice that an early company is gaining traction before that becomes apparent to anyone outside the space. While it might not seem like it, all this industry knowledge can be valuable. Sharing it is a great way to add value to your relationships with investors.

Founders are constantly learning. (To build their company, they must.) Investors are too. They’re learning about new problems that they can help great founders solve. Helping investors (or anyone for that matter) learn about your space quickly can be a great way to build a bidirectional relationship.