the follow up or check-in with an investor should be because 1) you set the expectation that's what you do as part of your process 2) there is momentum in the fundraise that you're riding 3) there is a meaningful company update at least 1 of the 3 if not multiple otherwise it's because you're a crappy deal

you the follow up and check-in with an investor should be because 1) you set the expectation that's what you do as part of your process 2) there is momentum in the fundraise that you're riding 3) there is a meaningful company update at least 1 of the 3 if not multiple otherwise it's because you're a crappy deal

i have a thesis. it's not fully formed yet so my description will be rough 👇 most founders should not follow the agile planning methodlogy agile is a sacred cow in startup lore but we need to start questioning it or at least refining it the core is the flexibility of agile leads to extremely poor focus and in turn bad outcomes many founders would be far better served around something that looks like...wait for it.. waterfall planning👀 (waiting for the @ericries stans to come for me now...)

when you're talking traction in a fundraise, don't just list "here are the things we've done" lay it out serially to show causality. we did this, which unlocked that, which is why the next thing is happening faster investors are trying to read momentum, which means progress, increasing pace, and evidence that your next step is more likely to happen than your last one was

spent time helping VCs and founders keep their burn rates HIGH for once thx to @Aaron_Gins @FenwickWest as always❤️ p.s im really enjoying hosting these adamant morning ☀️ events. keep an eye out for more. and if you’re a friend and get an invite to one of the private events like this one …trust you won’t want to miss it

don't say "i need to raise capital" when people find out what I do they get excited to talk to me and 90% of the time they use those words when they do, i immediately discount them as uninteresting that might be unfair but i guarantee you this type of language means something to most investors if you're a founder that commands investor attention, your natural phrasing would be "i'm going to raise capital" one version sounds like the raise is a step on a path you're already running down and the other sounds like you're waiting for permission to start or a lifeline

anyone have fun connections / hookups for Twitch Con? i'm taking my 14 y/o niece on fri nov 13 and hoping to setup anything that would make me seem cool 😎 i'll return the favor somehow

who's in LA tomorrow morning on the west side? have an awesome private event mostly for investors centered around wellness (a mobility workout + coffee + sauna). reach out if you know me and you're wondering why i didn't invite you. it was probably a mistake. i have a couple spots to left.

i'm hosting a private event tues for about 30 founders and investors coincidentally, i have founders of 4 of the top IRL experiences companies in LA all joining. @themotoringclub Primal Moves @626NightMarket Fescue Golf Club any questions you'd want me to ask them?

what are best practices to managing guest lists for dinners in LA? last minute cancellations make hosting really tough Here are my options: - invite 2x the number of people as seats, run a waitlist - charge a fee to confirm a place (even though I’m not trying to collect money) those are my only ideas, neither are foolproof, and they sort of cheapen the experience would love other ideas and strategies

a lot of the generic business training i got in my MBA turned out to apply directly to startups. negotiating contracts is a good example. raising capital is the same game most founders negotiate terms with an investor one item at a time. valuation first, then the SAFE, then vesting, then the board seat. every single item becomes its own little fight bundle it instead and present the package: "here's what we're thinking: $X valuation, standard YC SAFE, 50% of our shares behind vesting, no board seat." it's harder to nitpick a package, and you come across as a founder who's organized and knows what they want

i love hosting hotpot. but the best thing about hosting hotpot is...the leftovers. the second solo hotpot the day after is awesom good times from my first ShabbhotPot yesterday!

had this thought about what confidence lets you do while grabbing a slice at sonny's sonny's is one of the most popular pizza spots in LA, and they run it on their terms. only full slices. when they sell out, they're done. prices are high. they're totally ok disappointing people, because they know plenty of people absolutely want what they have that's the calm confidence that works in a fundraise. you don't need to oversell or chase every investor. be clear about what you have, hold your terms, and trust that the right people will want in

really great video on fundraising strategy. I pretty much agree with all of it but the process is hard to setup even if it’s simple to explain in a video if you’re looking to have humans alongside you to check-in with around your fundraise AND purpose built agentic software… check out how we help with admnt.com and lanternraise.ai

if you are a service provider of any sort... you should know you can win business just because you're the only one of you that a connector has met i met a lawyer in london that works with startups. i don't know any other startup lawyer in london. he will likely get business from me as i meet tons of founders in the UK go out there and meet people

i use something with founders i call the ramble test find the thing about your opportunity that really fires you up. the thing that makes you go off script and ramble, and gets your heart rate up like you just won a competition that's usually what belongs at the center of your pitch and if you can't find anything that makes you ramble about your business, that's worth paying attention to

you can spend your raise searching for the one investor who already knows your space, or you can get great at inviting an outsider into your world. one of those gets you a lot more shots on goal a few ways to get an investor to care about a space they're unfamiliar with: - draw a comparison - give a specific example - make them connect with the problem