Raise money

Whether to raise, from whom, on what terms, and the non-dilutive options.

What founders use for raise money, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. A concise video lecture that walks through the key concepts and mechanics of running a fundraising process, from a YC partner... Y Combinator Startup Library Video · 40 min Fundraising Fundamentals (Startup School) Geoff Ralston In 3 answers
  2. The cleanest India pivot story told by the founder himself: Meesho began as Fashnear, a hyperlocal fashion app, and became a... Y Combinator Video · 35 min On Starting and Scaling Indian Shopping Site Meesho Vidit Aatrey (Meesho co-founder and CEO)
  3. Scott Kupor, who has run a16z's investing operations and written the book founders quietly read before a raise (Secrets of Sand... a16z Video · 20 min The Economics of Term Sheets Scott Kupor
  4. A Sequoia partner says the quiet part out loud: the reaction to the miss matters more than the miss itself. Hilaly's move is to... SaaStr Video · 25 min (video + transcript) How to Manage Up and Have a Happy Board, Even When You Miss a Quarter Aaref Hilaly (Sequoia Capital)

The questions

Should you raise? VC vs bootstrap 18

Raise only if the fuel buys escape velocity.

Should I raise venture capital or bootstrap my startup? 3 → What kind of businesses are actually a good fit for venture capital? 3 → What do I give up when I take VC money? 3 → Is my startup 'default alive' or 'default dead'? 2 → Can I build a big, profitable company without ever raising money? 2 → All 18 questions in Should you raise? VC vs bootstrap →
Angel & seed fundraising 18

Get your first believers to write cheques.

How does seed fundraising actually work, step by step? 3 → How much money should I raise at seed, and how much equity do I give up? 3 → How do I find and get intros to angel investors and seed funds? 3 → How do I create momentum and FOMO so investors commit instead of stalling? 3 → How is raising a seed round in India different from the US? 3 → All 18 questions in Angel & seed fundraising →
Pitch deck & storytelling 17

Ten slides that make investors lean in.

What slides should my pitch deck have, and in what order? 3 → How do I tell a compelling story instead of just listing features? 3 → What actually happens inside a VC partner meeting when I pitch? 3 → What are the most common mistakes that kill a pitch deck? 3 → How long should my deck be, and what goes in the appendix? 2 → All 17 questions in Pitch deck & storytelling →
Valuation, SAFEs & term sheets 18

Understand the paper before you sign it.

What is a SAFE and how does it actually work? 3 → What's the difference between a valuation cap and a discount on a SAFE? 3 → How is my startup's valuation actually decided at the early stage? 3 → What do the key terms in a term sheet actually mean? 3 → How do SAFEs and term sheets differ in India versus the US? 3 → All 18 questions in Valuation, SAFEs & term sheets →
Investor updates & relations 17

Turn investors into your unfair advantage.

How do I write a great monthly investor update? 3 → What metrics should I actually report to investors? 3 → How do I actually get value out of my investors beyond the cheque? 3 → How do I share bad news with investors without spooking them? 2 → How often should I update investors, and does it help me raise the next round? 3 → All 17 questions in Investor updates & relations →
Grants & non-dilutive funding 21

Free money: schemes, grants, and competitions.

What exactly is non-dilutive funding, and why should an early founder chase it before raising VC? 2 → What is DPIIT / Startup India recognition, and what do I actually get from it? 2 → How do I apply to the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and how much can I get? 2 → What government schemes and grants can an early Indian startup actually get? 3 → What startup grants and competitions can a student in India apply to? 3 → All 21 questions in Grants & non-dilutive funding →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →