I Looked at 431 Startups to Write 1 Check — Here’s What Actually Gets Founders Funded

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Here’s how my latest deal came together: 431 companies, 74 meetings, 1 check. Raising money is brutally competitive. Here’s how to win…

A Look Inside My Deal Funnel

I wired for a new investment on June 29th. To find it, I looked at over 400 companies and did 74 Zoom meetings.

Finding great investments is not easy. Neither is raising money for your startup.

Founders start thousands of startups in America every year. Only around half successfully raise a seed round.

Bottom line: there’s too many startups chasing too little money.

Investors Are Dying to Eliminate You

Investors are looking for a reason to eliminate you. They say no to hundreds of people for every check they write.

Founders not builders? Pass.

No revenue? Pass.

No product built? Pass.

Any obvious problem gets you disqualified instantly.

It’s harsh, I know! But that’s the way the market works.

Before You Raise, Ask Yourself “Am I Fundable?”

Don’t get disqualified right off the bat. Before you go out to raise, make sure you’re fundable.

Do you have these 3 key elements?

If you have those 3 things, you’re ahead of 90% of startups. You’re going to get meetings, and you should grab at least a few checks.

Putting Your Fundraise on Pause

Not getting anywhere with your fundraise?

Put it on pause. Go out and sign three more customers.

You don’t need funding for that. You just need to message leads, show your value proposition, and close them.

Then, try raising again. Watch how much easier it gets.

Wrap-Up

To raise that round of funding, you’ve got to beat hundreds of people.

Be undeniable.

Assemble a team of builders. Launch a product. Get paying customers.

With those 3 elements in place, you can start to bank some real cash.