The Founder Collective recently published a ridiculously detailed fundraising guide. It’s a really great summary of the nuances of the fundraising process, the first of which is the most important - it’s a process that requires management - just like any other pipeline. This article emphasizes the point and many others. Here’s the full list:
📝 Build a list ✂️ Curate the list with your VCs 👉 Fixate on leads 🔬 Focus on this round — Only this round 🔪 Make one more cut 📦 Prep an intro package 🗝️ Choose the best intros 🗓️ Schedule ~10 Meetings 🛴 Pad the schedule ⚾️ Practice your pitch 🎭 Dress Rehearse 🥉 Sequence investors 🍻 Employ the buddy system 🚫 Embrace “Objection Response” 👂 Report objectively 🛡️ Shield your team (and VCs) 🕵️♂️ Use backchannels 👶 Nurture all interest 🏎️ Race to a term sheet 🤥 Never ever mislead