Decision Catalyst Identification

Catalysts enable strategic acceleration—engineering the right trigger (reference call completion, co-investor commit, anchor close) compresses decision timelines.

Expanded Definition

Common catalysts include: reference completion (final validation check), IC meeting scheduled (decision forcing function), co-investor commits (social proof and FOMO), anchor secured (credibility signal and allocation scarcity), fund size threshold (approaching final close), portfolio milestone (meaningful performance signal), external validation (ranking, press, award), personal connection (principal conviction from direct engagement).

Catalyst power varies by LP type: institutional LPs often need IC meeting catalyst; family offices may need principal conviction catalyst; co-investor social proof works across types. Identifying LP's specific catalyst enables strategic engineering rather than passive waiting.

Signals & Evidence

Catalyst identification signals:

• Process bottlenecks: "Waiting on IC meeting" → schedule IC; "Want to talk to references" → facilitate calls
• Stated requirements: "Will commit after reference calls" → catalyst is reference completion
• Social pressure: "Want to see who else is in" → catalyst is co-investor announcements
• Conviction gaps: "Like the strategy but..." → catalyst is addressing specific concern
• Decision authority: Committee-based = IC meeting; principal-led = principal conviction

Decision Framework

• Catalyst discovery: Ask directly ("What would need to be true for you to commit?") or infer from stated requirements and bottlenecks
• Catalyst engineering: Proactively create conditions for catalyst (schedule IC meetings, facilitate reference calls, announce co-investors)
• Timing optimization: Sequence catalysts strategically (anchor commitment creates co-investor social proof for later targets)

Common Misconceptions

"Catalysts are universal" → Different LPs need different triggers; discover individual catalysts rather than assuming. "Time alone is catalyst" → Passive waiting rarely creates commitment; active catalyst engineering accelerates decisions. "One catalyst = guaranteed commit" → Catalysts move LPs forward but don't guarantee commitment; they enable decision, not force it.

Key Takeaways

• Decision catalysts (reference completion, IC scheduling, co-investor commits, anchor close) trigger LP movement from evaluation to commitment
• Identify LP-specific catalyst by asking directly or inferring from stated requirements and process bottlenecks
• Engineer catalysts strategically (facilitate references, schedule ICs, announce commits) rather than passively waiting for decisions