The Summer Slowdown is OVER!

Events are humming, pitch decks are getting tweaked, and I am talking to a LOT of founders who are raising right now.

What am I telling those founders?

It’s a secret.

JUST KIDDING!

Here are the articles I’m sharing most often to help founders think about their pitch, how much to raise, and generally set themselves up for fundraising success!

1. 10x Your Elevator Pitch With 4 Words

There’s a 99% chance your pitch is too complicated.

Investor are not smart have a lot going on. 😜 Make it really easy for them to understand what you do.

Think: game of telephone. Could they explain what you do to someone else in a few words after talking to you one time?

Yes, there’s more to your business than just 4 words. But clarity of thought and focus are mission critical to startup success!

#PROTIP: Here’s 6 strategies to find your bite-sized pitch with examples.

2. Show Me The Money: #1 Tip for Talking To Investors

Listen. I don’t know how many more ways I can say it.

MAKE SURE TO EXPLAIN VERY CLEARLY AND UP FRONT HOW YOUR BUSINESS IS GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

It literally hurts my heart when founders:

• don’t talk about revenue (even though they have it)

• focus so much on the “problem” or their product, they don’t mention money

• wait for the end of the pitch to start talking dollars

#PROTIP: Talking about money is a great life skill. Here’s why and here’s how.

3. Simple Fundraising Formulas Every Founder Should Know

What should my valuation be??? How much should I raise???

Everyone asks and there’s no correct answer. Just a lot of opinions and tradeoffs.

So get educated on the behind-the-scenes math!

#PROTIP: Here’s how a real VC thinks about valuations (from 2024 but still applies) and the pros and cons of a high valuation you may not have considered.

4. Step-by-Step Fundraising Tactics from the NYC Legend Who Raised $750M

Arguably the best fundraising article I’ve ever read.

He gives you specific language and tactics on how to pitch, run a process, get investors to compete, and then close.

#PROTIP: Mark Suster is another blogging great on fundraising. Start here and proceed down the rabbit hole.

5. Raising Money Takes 6-9 Months

I know, I know. You’re going to have one meeting and get a $1M check.

Just in case you’re like the other 99.9999% of founders and it takes longer, read this great article from Atlanta startup legend Dave Payne so you can mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for the road ahead!

#PROTIP: Here’s 5 reasons that your fundraise is stalling and what to do about it.

6. 3 Unexpected Fundraising Secrets From a VC

One of my first posts ever sharing insider fundraising info — these are the best, non-obvious tips that I share over and over again!

1. Get an entrepreneur intro.

2. Pitch your “worst” first.

3. Practice Q&A.

There. I saved you from clicking and reading. DO THESE! (And read the whole article for the details.)

#PROTIP: Speaking of Q&A, here are common investor questions (with my unhinged commentary, of course 💁‍♀️) and 6 strategies to dominate the question portion of a meeting!

Other fave articles? What’s been the best fundraising advice you’ve received?

Comment below or reply to the Substack email and let me know!

Don’t forget to share the love — forward to a founder friend who is fundraising! (Say that 3 times fast 😂)