Managing a High-Profile Inbox Effectively: Charles Hudson

Charles Hudson, Managing Partner and Founder of Precursor Ventures, receives upwards of 2,000 emails a week - more than four times what the average person gets.  And many of those messages flooding into his inbox are mission-critical.

“Besides the back-to-back meetings he’s in all day, email is his primary communication channel,” says Charles’ Chief of Staff. “When he comes out of a meeting, he needs to see only the most important messages that require his input or action.”

Charles has support from his Chief of Staff and his executive assistant to ensure his inbox stays manageable and effective.  Before Gated, that meant wading through an astounding amount of sales pitches and irrelevant inquiries.

It used to take more than an hour each day just to process the hundreds of emails that arrived nonstop and cluttered up his inbox. His Chief of Staff still reels at the amount: “In my dreams, I never would have guessed how much email a person could get.” 

A personable and curious investor, Charles likes to try the products he invests in. So, what does he think about Gated?  

“I love it! Gated gives me time to get the things I want done, all while making sure email traffic goes where it's supposed to and can get the quickest response.”

Previously, his EA and CoS would agonize over which messages should be archived or left for Charles to see.  “It was tedious and mentally taxing for us to figure out which emails were most important to him.”

Now, Charles and his team trust Gated to automatically identify emails of significance.  It's a key tool for them in managing email chaos. They simply glance through the Gated folder every so often to check for anyone who should be added to his list of allowed senders. 

There’s peace of mind in a process that allows a team to run so smoothly.  

“My inbox used to have so much going on, but now it’s a much calmer place.”

What about the founders who want to pitch Precursor about their startups? Charles has customized his Gated account to make sure those folks find what they need. Unknown senders seeking funding are pointed to an online submission form that gathers all of the relevant information, making the process fast and easy for all involved.

“Sometimes people email with incomplete information about their raise or company, which means there is unnecessary back-and-forth on all sides. This process is way better for founders – and Precursor.” 

With Gated, there has been a dramatic decrease in the effort spent dealing with sales pitches that are missing necessary information or out of spec for the firm.  Plus, now it’s easier for the team to “keep an eye on critical messages, figure out what needs to be triaged, and float up important emails that he needs to react to ASAP.”  

Charles says, “Gated has been well-received since it helps ensure people who send us their business plans get the quickest response possible. Even people who've emailed me but hit the wall like it!”

What’s the cause Charles chooses to support when unknown senders pay to reach him? “The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, because it's a nonprofit I really care about. In pre-pandemic times, our team even volunteered there as a group.”

In this digital-first world, many high-profile individuals care about the emails they receive but don’t have time to sort through the overwhelming volume.

Charles Hudson and his team set an example for how to use technology to fight back against email overload. With Gated, they can spend their time focused on what matters most - finding and funding startups to tackle big problems in new markets.

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Published March 2022

Updated December 2022