Raise your first round
Understand the game before you pitch: whether to raise, from whom, and on what terms.
5 steps to get you moving, each with a resource worth your time and more waiting underneath
Think of this as a friendly starting line, not the last word. Each step gives you the gist, then a resource worth your time from founders who've been there. There's always more underneath, more questions and more resources, whenever you feel like digging in.
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1
Should you raise? VC vs bootstrap
Raise only if the fuel buys escape velocity.
Should I raise venture capital or bootstrap my startup?The gist Raise VC only if your business needs a big pile of cash to reach escape velocity before someone else does, and if a 10x-in-a-few-years outcome is genuinely plausible. If you can grow on customer revenue and want to keep control and optionality, bootstrap. VC isn't a trophy; it's debt with an ambition clause attached.
A Guide to Seed Fundraising Y Combinator Startup Library The canonical, no-nonsense overview of how seed fundraising works, written by a former YC president who has seen thousands of rounds. It's the single best starting point before you talk to a single investor. -
2
Angel & seed fundraising
Get your first believers to write cheques.
How does seed fundraising actually work, step by step?The gist You build enough proof (traction, team, or a compelling wedge) to make investors believe, then run a tight, time-boxed process where you talk to many investors in parallel to create momentum and a sense of scarcity. You collect commitments, usually on a SAFE or note, until the round fills. Fundraising is a sales process; treat it like one.
How to Raise Money paulgraham.com The most quoted essay on the mechanics of fundraising, distilled from YC Demo Day advice. It reframes fundraising as a sales process with clear rules that still hold up years later. -
3
Pitch deck & storytelling
Ten slides that make investors lean in.
What slides should my pitch deck have, and in what order?The gist Use the battle-tested Sequoia structure: purpose, problem, solution, why now, market size, competition, product, business model, team, and financials, in roughly that order. Ten to twelve clean slides, one idea per slide. Don't reinvent the format; investors read hundreds of decks and expect this flow.
Writing a Business Plan (The Sequoia Pitch Deck Template) Sequoia Capital The de facto global standard for pitch deck structure, straight from Sequoia. The same outline Airbnb's founders used; if you follow one template, follow this one. -
4
Valuation, SAFEs & term sheets
Understand the paper before you sign it.
What is a SAFE and how does it actually work?The gist A SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) lets an investor give you money now in exchange for equity later, when you raise a priced round, without setting a valuation today. It's fast, cheap, and standardized, which is why nearly all YC-style seed rounds use it. Use the official post-money SAFE and understand that post-money means investors' ownership is locked in before your next round dilutes it.
YC Safe Financing Documents (Official Post-Money SAFE) Y Combinator The primary source for the SAFE itself, plus YC's plain-English primer explaining post-money mechanics. Use the official document, not a random copy, and read the primer before you sign. -
5
Grants & non-dilutive funding
Free money: schemes, grants, and competitions.
What exactly is non-dilutive funding, and why should an early founder chase it before raising VC?The gist Non-dilutive funding is money you get without giving up equity or control, grants, government schemes, competitions, R&D subsidies, and revenue. In India this is unusually generous: DPIIT-recognised startups can tap the Startup India Seed Fund, state grants, BIRAC/NIDHI R&D money, and tax holidays. Chase it first because every rupee of grant is a rupee you didn't sell your company for.
Startup India, Government Schemes for Startups Startup India (startupindia.gov.in) This is the single official directory of central and state government schemes for Indian startups, the primary source, not a blog summarising it. If you only bookmark one page for non-dilutive funding, make it this one and filter by your sector, stage, and state.
