What practice most improved your startup fundraising success?

Matthew Rabinowitz

Executive Chairman · Natera

Raise Institutional Money Early

Matthew Rabinowitz advises raising institutional money as fast as possible and spending little, because if one institutional investor can't be convinced, the plan is wrong, and investors help with market blind spots.

The answer starts at 34:52.

Tomaz Stolfa

Co-founder / CEO · Sunrise Robotics

Long-Term Aligned Cap Table

Tomaz Stolfa says building a long-term aligned cap table has most improved his success because it provides an anchor for the team through good and bad times and supports the long-term journey of building the company.

Will Drewery

Founder & CEO · Diagon

Building a Network

Will Drewery says building a network accounts for about 70% of his fundraising success, since he could reach 50 interested VC investors without warm introductions and sell to former colleagues before having a product.

The answer starts at 27:08.

Mark Rushmore

Co-Founder · Suri

Underpromise and Overdeliver

Mark Rushmore says he takes to heart underpromising and overdelivering when pitching investors, since it's easier to underpromise than overdeliver and it builds a reputation.

Maik Taro Wehmeyer

Co-Founder & CEO · Taktile

Structured Process with Stalking Horses

Maik Taro Wehmeyer says running a structured process with a couple of stalking horses in the game—letting someone run fast then squeezing—can greatly influence the outcome of a fundraise, since the same numbers can yield a bad or good round.

Sasha Orloff

Member of Staff · Accrual

Use Puzzle for Compliance

Sasha Orloff recommends using Puzzle for compliance, specifically setting up a Puzzle account, because the number one reason investors pass is founders not following basic minimum compliance.

Victor Cardenas Codriansky

Co-Founder, CEO · Slash

Raise Only When Needed

Victor Cardenas Codriansky says the practice is to raise only when needed, or only with a good reason, and to raise when you don't actually need the money to generate leverage.

Alex Konrad

Founder and Editor · Upstarts Media

Trusted Network Referrals

Alex Konrad says his serious answer is trusted network referrals: he leans on trusted networks more than ever, from founders and investors he knows, because cold outreach has a higher bar to impress.

Gabrielle Marquez

Founder Solutions Lead · Finstrat Management

Give Without Expectations

Gabrielle Marquez says giving without expectations has most improved her success because it avoids turning interactions into mere business transactions and increases the odds of success by combining kindness with a strong product.