How to prepare for a meeting with a VP, executive, or investor
Senior people give you less time and notice more. Preparing well means knowing what they own, where they came from, what has just happened to them, and what you have already said to each other — then condensing it to a page with three talking points and one ask.
Six steps below, with time estimates. If the meeting is in 20 minutes, skip to the 60-second version.
Step 1. Work out what they own and what they are measured on
A VP of Engineering is judged on delivery, reliability, and the team; a CRO on pipeline and quota; a partner at a fund on returns and the thesis they have publicly committed to. Their title tells you the remit; their company's current priorities tell you the pressure. Everything you say should connect to one of those two things.
Step 2. Read their path, not just their title
Previous employers tell you the lens they will bring. Someone who spent years at a payments company will ask about reliability and compliance first; someone who came up through sales will ask about the customer. Note how long they have been in the current seat — a leader six months in is still building a case, a leader five years in is defending one.
Step 3. Find the one recent thing
A funding round, a reorg, a product launch, a talk they gave, a post they wrote. One specific, recent detail is the most reliable way to show you prepared — and it is the thing that goes stale fastest, so it never lives on a profile.
Step 4. Reconstruct your own history with them
Search your inbox for their name. Who introduced you, what was discussed, what you committed to. Senior people remember what you promised more reliably than you do, and opening with that continuity is worth more than any icebreaker. Check mutual connections too: a shared contact is a warm reference and a read on how they operate.
Step 5. For investors: know the thesis and the portfolio
Read what they have invested in recently and what they have said publicly about why. If a portfolio company is adjacent to you, know it before they mention it. Decide what you are asking for — advice, an intro, a check — and say so early; investors meet too many people to guess.
Step 6. Write a one-page brief with three talking points
Who they are in three lines, why this meeting matters, how you know them, and three specific things to raise. Then a single ask. If it does not fit on one page, you have collected rather than prepared.
What the brief should look like
This is the summary section of a RunDossier briefing on a (fictional) VP of Engineering. Role, remit, scale of the team, path, and what she is known for — the first four steps above, in one paragraph.
Sarah Chen is a seasoned engineering leader with over 15 years of experience building and scaling technology teams at high-growth companies. Currently VP of Engineering at TechCorp, she oversees a team of 120+ engineers across platform, infrastructure, and product engineering. Previously held senior roles at Stripe and Google. Known for her expertise in distributed systems and building engineering culture.
Sarah Chen and TechCorp are fictional; the structure and depth are what a real run produces. Read the full example dossier.
The 60-second version
RunDossier runs the research steps for you. Enter the person's name and their company or title, and it locates their public LinkedIn profile, adds recent public web results, searches your own Gmail for how you know them (if you connect it), and writes the brief: summary, background, your connection, talking points, and quick facts like tenure and reporting line. Every fact comes from gathered data; nothing is invented. The judgement — the ask, what to lead with — stays yours.
- Person's name
- Sarah Chen
- Context
- VP of Engineering at TechCorp
Frequently asked questions
How much time should I spend preparing for a meeting with an executive?
Done by hand, about 30 to 35 minutes per person covers the profile, the company, recent news, your own history, and writing a one-page brief. The same research takes about 60 seconds with RunDossier, which leaves the time for thinking about your ask.
What should I know before meeting a VP?
What they own and are measured on, how long they have been in the role, where they came from, who they report to, and anything recent about their team or company. Then your own history with them — who introduced you and what was last discussed.
What should I know before meeting an investor?
Their fund's thesis and stage, their recent investments, anything they have written or said publicly about the space, and a clear, early statement of what you are asking for. Adjacent portfolio companies are worth knowing before they come up.
Can RunDossier do this research for me?
Yes. Enter the person's full name and their company or title — not a LinkedIn URL — and in about 60 seconds you get a briefing with their background, recent public information, your email history with them if you connect Gmail, and suggested talking points. Three dossiers are free, no card required.
Walk into the next one prepared
Three briefings are free, no card. Enter the executive's name and company and spend the time you save on your ask.
Related reading
RunDossier is a meeting-preparation tool for professional use. It compiles publicly available professional information and, with your permission, your own email history. It is not a consumer reporting agency and dossiers are not consumer reports — see the Terms of Service for permitted use.