Status taxonomy
Use consistent stages: Contacted → Replied → Meeting scheduled → Meeting held → Diligence → Term sheet → Closed. Ambiguous statuses like 'interested' create pipeline fiction.
Follow-up after meetings
Send recap within 24 hours. Include answers to questions raised, requested materials, and clear next step. Investors running multiple processes prioritize founders who are organized.
Weekly pipeline review
Every week: who's stalled, who needs a nudge, who's in diligence, who passed and why. Pass reasons feed back into targeting for the next batch.