References, building a list that is ready before anyone asks for it

The two lists this appendix asks for

• A professional reference list, covering deal references, people who worked directly with the GP on specific transactions, and prior employer contacts who can speak to the GP's professional history.
• An LP reference list from any prior fund or vehicle, with authorization from each named LP explicitly noted before they are listed, since a reference cannot be contacted without it.

What "pre-briefed" actually means

Before sharing a name, confirm the person is willing to be a reference and explain the fundraise and the likely subject of a call. Briefing is not coaching: the reference should give an independent account. A little context helps avoid an unexpected call landing with someone who does not know why they were contacted.

What allocators actually ask referenced parties

Reference calls tend to probe two things beyond general character: whether the GP's account of a specific deal or decision matches what the reference independently remembers, and whether the GP behaves consistently under pressure, meaning during a difficult fundraise, a portfolio company crisis, or a partnership disagreement, not only when things are going well. A reference list that includes at least one person who saw the GP through a hard moment, not only enthusiastic supporters, tends to read as more credible than a uniformly glowing list.

Press coverage and the background check authorization

This appendix also covers press coverage and third-party recognition, assembled as a factual record rather than a curated highlight reel, and a background check authorization form, a standard procedural item most first-time managers have simply never been asked for before and should not be surprised by.