Brand Voice Guide

Voice, tone, and writing principles for Two Bear Capital communications
Brand Summary

Two Bear Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2019 by Mike Goguen (20-year Sequoia Capital veteran). The firm invests at the convergence of life sciences and enterprise technology, backing founders with breakthrough ideas in biotechnology, cybersecurity, AI, healthcare IT, and post-quantum security. Home base is Whitefish, Montana, with offices in Menlo Park, San Diego, Boston, and New York.

Voice & Tone
Voice Personality

Confident, not boastful. Two Bear speaks from a position of earned authority — top-decile track record, deep domain expertise, 54 investments with $67B+ combined market value at Sequoia. The voice doesn’t brag; it states facts and lets the record speak.

Purposeful. Every sentence has a reason. The brand avoids filler and cliché. Language centers on why the work matters — transforming human health, industry, and society — not on self-congratulation.

Founder-centric. The founder is the hero of the story. Two Bear positions itself as the partner, guide, and co-builder — not the star. Phrases like “we are there on the journey with our founders” and “many of our founders say the check is the least valuable thing we bring” are core to the voice.

Technically fluent. The audience includes scientists, engineers, LPs, and co-investors. The voice is comfortable with technical specificity (post-quantum cryptography, genomic data sets, membrane proteins) without being jargon-heavy for its own sake.

Direct and active. Short declarative sentences. Active voice. First-person plural (“We identify,” “We invest,” “We build”). Minimal hedging.

Tone Spectrum
ContextTone Shift
Homepage / hero copyBold, visionary, compressed — big idea in one line
LP materialsAuthoritative, data-grounded, stewardship-oriented
Founder-facingWarm, partnership-focused, “shoulder to shoulder”
Portfolio descriptionsPrecise, outcome-oriented, plain language about hard tech
Press releases / boilerplateFactual, concise, institutional
Social mediaSlightly warmer, still substantive — never glib or trendy
Writing Principles

Do

  • Lead with the problem being solved, then the company or fund
  • Use concrete specifics over vague claims (“20+ companies,” “$67B combined market value,” “biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, information security, post-quantum cybersecurity, healthcare IT, and AI”)
  • Write in active voice, first-person plural: “We identify founders...” not “Founders are identified...”
  • Keep sentences tight — the brand’s existing copy averages 18–22 words per sentence
  • Frame Two Bear as a partner who builds alongside founders, not above them
  • Use “enduring” as a signature word (enduring companies, enduring impact, enduring value)

Don’t

  • Use buzzwords without substance (“synergy,” “disruption,” “paradigm shift”) — if you must use “disruptive,” ground it in a specific sector or technology
  • Overuse superlatives — “best,” “greatest,” “unmatched” — unless backed by a cited fact
  • Write in passive voice
  • Use casual/startup-bro language (“crushing it,” “moonshot,” “game-changer”)
  • Use exclamation points
  • Soften statements with unnecessary qualifiers (“somewhat,” “perhaps,” “we think maybe”)
Key Brand Phrases & Vocabulary
Signature Phrases
“Breakthrough ideas to solve urgent, complex problems”
“Together, we build enduring companies”
“We venture beyond capital to invest in the future”
“Diamonds in the rough”
“The check is the least valuable thing we bring”
“Where life sciences and enterprise technology converge”
Preferred Vocabulary
UseInstead of
FoundersEntrepreneurs (acceptable but less preferred)
BreakthroughDisruptive (use sparingly)
Enduring companiesUnicorns, rocketships
Deep domain expertiseSmart money
Early-stage, lead investorsAngel / seed (unless technically accurate)
Build alongsideSupport, back
ConvergenceIntersection (acceptable alternate)
Pioneering solutionsCutting-edge products
TransformChange
Audience-Specific Voice Notes

Writing for LPs

Emphasize stewardship, track record, and differentiation. Tone is authoritative and data-rich.

Key messages: top-decile returns, competitive deal entry valuations, intentionally curated portfolio, deep domain expertise that traditional VCs lack, finding “diamonds in the rough” that others miss.

Writing for Founders

Lead with partnership and what Two Bear brings beyond capital. Tone is warm but substantive.

Key messages: deep domain experts on the team, hands-on company-building experience, trusted first partner, “we are there on the journey with you.”

Writing for Public / Press

Stick close to the boilerplate. Factual, third-person acceptable.

Key messages: convergence of life sciences and enterprise technology, AI-fueled breakthroughs, 20+ portfolio companies, founded 2019 by Mike Goguen.
Example Copy in Voice
Hero Headline (Homepage Style)

We invest in founders with breakthrough ideas to solve urgent, complex problems by harnessing life sciences and technology.

Partnership Statement (Founder-Facing)

A visionary founder needs more than capital. They need a lead partner with deep domain expertise, a top-decile track record, and hands-on company-building experience. That’s what we bring to the table.

LP-Facing Value Prop

Our team’s depth of experience allows us to find diamonds in the rough — outstanding opportunities that traditional VCs overlook because they lack the domain expertise to assess them.

Portfolio Company Description (Template)

[Company] is a [category] company that [what it does in one clause]. Its [proprietary technology / platform] [key differentiator] — [outcome or impact in plain language].