Our voice

In a world where trust is earned and reputation matters, every word counts.

Overview

Guidelines

Mechanics

Our voice is…

Strong, empowered, and uplifting.

If our voice were to take human form, it would have the strength of athletes combined with the steadfast grit of angel investors. We always speak with conviction. We never hesitate or waiver. 

Think of us as that dependable confidant you seek out for wisdom. While we don't claim to know everything, we openly share what we've learned and mastered.

We genuinely want our members to have success, always seeking to enlighten and elevate. And while we might slip in a witticism here or there, it's always with a touch of class and intellect.

High achievers gravitate towards individuals who share their drive. Our voice should reflect the depth of our knowledge. They should feel they’re in expert hands, equipped and ready to perform. Each time feeling like they have the inside track.

Expert

    • Rely on data, not guesswork

    • Avoid speculations

    • When presenting data or insights, always cite sources or context

    • Use statements like "According to our research..." rather than "We think..."

No one ever reached the top without believing in their own abilities. For our members, confidence isn't just an asset; it's a necessity. Hearing a confident voice not only resonates with their lived experience but it matches the high standards they set both on and off the field.

Confident

    • Always use an active tone of voice

    • Avoid unsure phrases like might or could

    • Use phases like "leading the way in..." or "setting the pace for..."

Just like the fine details of contract negotiations our members value the whole picture. They have little patience for gaps in information and expect straightforward communication. When we communicate we don’t avoid the uncomfortable, we hand our members the playbook.

Transparent

    • If there's uncertainty, acknowledge it

    • Use phrases like "To give you the full picture..." or "It's important you know..."

Staying relevant will give our members something to talk about in the locker room. They value being in the know and keeping up with the latest. They also value relevant information that aligns to their interests. Our communication should hold their attention and should always be current.

Relevant

    • Specify the source and its recency, such as 'Forbes reported this just last week'.

    • Use real life examples that will resonate… for example, rather than ‘Sequoia is one of the most successful investors in startups' you would put ‘Sequoia is one of the most successful investors in startups, having invested in companies like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube.’

For our members time is a luxury, we recognise the importance of delivering information that's both succinct and compelling. Communicating only what is relevant in simple terms will be appreciated.

Concise

    • Favour short, impactful sentences

    • Avoid filler and buzzwords

Just say what you mean, in plain language. We can only help athletes learn about the world of startup investing if we create content that they can understand and in a tone they relate to.

Simple

  • Complex financial terms, percentages and anything requiring athletes to do math should be avoided. For example, instead of saying “subscription revenues account for 25% of their total, say “They earn £250,000 from subscriptions alone.”

Writing mechanics

  • Clear numbers speak louder than vague promises. For example, instead of saying "a NFL player can get impressive returns," state "a NFL player investing 10% of their salary for 5 years can expect £2.2M after 10 years.

  • Every abbreviation and acronym we use should be defined in simple plain talk language.

  • Numbers over 3 digits get commas e.g. 1,000. Write out big numbers in full however abbreviate them if there are space restraints e.g. 1k, 150M.

    • Always spell out the month using its first three letters to avoid ambiguity (e.g., Jan, Feb, Mar).

    • If space permits, spell out the full month (e.g., January, February, March).

    • The format should be: Month, Day, Year (e.g., Jan 24, 2023).

    • Do not use suffixes like st, nd, rd, or th (e.g., use “Jan 24, 2023” instead of “24th Jan, 2023”).

    • Always use the 12-hour clock format with an uppercase AM/PM (e.g., 7 PM or 8:15 AM).

    • Do not use leading zeros for single-digit hours (use “8 AM” instead of “08 AM”).

    • Remove “:00” for whole hours (e.g., use “7 PM” instead of “7:00 PM”, but keep minutes if necessary, e.g., “8:15 AM”).

    • Always include a colon when displaying minutes (e.g., “8:15 AM” but “8 AM” for whole hours).

    • Show time zones in brackets when necessary (e.g., 6 PM (GMT)).

    • Use the official three-letter abbreviation for time zones (GMT, ET, PT, CET, AEDT, etc.).

    • Adjust for daylight saving time where applicable (e.g., BST instead of GMT during summer in the UK).

    • Always show the time in the event’s local time zone.

  • Start only the first word of a title, header, or sentence with a capital letter, followed by lowercase for the subsequent words. Use this website to ensure you always have the correct punctuation - https://convertcase.net/

  • When writing our sequel always use a lowercase s unless it comes at the start of a sentence.

  • Active voice makes our communication direct, dynamic, and clear, fostering trust and engagement with our members. When using an active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action, creating a straightforward narrative.

  • We choose not to use exclamation marks because we feel that the strength of our words does not require additional emphasis.