5 Practical Takeaways for IROs, Straight from a Buy-Side Investor
We recently tuned in to a teaser of an IR masterclass featuring Stephen Yiu, co-founder of Blue Whale Growth Fund, a London-based buy-side investor.
Hearing it straight from an investor was especially valuable. While some of the points may feel familiar, it was validating to hear them framed from the investor’s perspective. They also echoed many conversations I have had with IROs.
Here are five takeaways Stephen shared, with a bit of added context on why they caught our attention.
1. On providing a basic business model or investor presentation
🎙️Stephen shares: “…we welcome that, in a way that it just helps to shape the conversation a little bit.”
Our take: When it comes to sharing a high-level business model or generic investor presentation, Stephen says investors don’t expect it, but they appreciate it. It saves time and imho, gives investors a consistent starting point, helping everyone work from the same baseline data and assumptions.
2. On sharing meaningful metrics consistently
🎙️“…come up with, like, sensible metrics that you want people to look at… so that people can follow it themselves…”
Our take: Stephen encourages companies to share sensible, repeatable metrics that make it easier for investors to model the business on their own over time. Consistency in what you disclose helps investors track your performance without needing extra clarification each quarter.
3. On quarterly investor interactions
🎙️“…maybe it could range from thirty minutes to an hour. It doesn’t need to be too long. I think sometimes thirty minutes is enough already…virtual could do the job.”
Our take: Stephen’s preference for quarterly touchpoints is clear: keep them short, focused, and virtual. Thirty minutes is often enough. Investors are not looking for production-heavy meetings. They want straightforward conversations where IROs can answer questions and provide clarity without overcomplicating the process.
4. On the value of Investor Day-type interactions
🎙️“maybe getting an event together every two years or so. And then you get your department head, talk about a different business dynamic.”
🎙️“…you probably get to hear what other investors are thinking about… that would be helpful too.”
Our take: Investors value hearing from functional leaders, learning what really drives the business beyond the quarterly financials, and listening to other investors’ questions, which often surface new insights they might not have considered.
5. On the preference to meet CEOs/CFOs
🎙️“…we are not fixated on it (meeting just CEOs/CFOs) as long as the investor relations person is very knowledgeable…”
Our take: Investors respect that CEOs and CFOs cannot meet every request. But, they are expecting IROs to be deeply informed and able to stand in as a credible proxy for senior leadership. Surface-level or generic answers are a miss. They are looking for solid, thoughtful responses from IROs.
Learn More
This summary is based on a free preview of the IR Impact masterclass featuring Stephen Yiu. If you’re interested, you can find more about it on the IR Impact website here.
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