A few convictions about early-stage fundraising I’m willing to defend:
A few convictions about early-stage fundraising I’m willing to defend:
1. Your first raise/cheque will come from someone who knows you. Or through them.
2. A “messy” cap table at pre-seed is often an overstated concern. Almost no round closes with a single investor.
3. A $25k minimum ticket is too high for pre-seed or seed. Don’t make it harder for people to invest.
4. VCs alone are not a strategy for raising your first money.
5. A stranger needs a reason to care before they need your full deck.
6. Founders should lead investor outreach themselves. Someone can find the contacts; they can’t build the relationships for you.
7. Don’t decide how much money someone has. You’re raising capital, not assessing their wardrobe.
8. Your deck is almost never the problem. The tenth revision might just be a way to postpone the next conversation.