Video · 40 min

Fundraising Fundamentals (Startup School)

Geoff Ralston · Y Combinator Startup Library Free Beginner

A concise video lecture that walks through the key concepts and mechanics of running a fundraising process, from a YC partner who has coached thousands of founders. Great if you'd rather watch than read.

  • Warm intros and social proof (a strong first cheque) do most of the heavy lifting
  • Build a ranked target list and run the process concurrently to build momentum
  • Investors at seed underwrite team and market more than metrics
Open on ycombinator.com ↗

It answers 3 questions

  1. How does seed fundraising actually work, step by step?
  2. How do I find and get intros to angel investors and seed funds?
  3. What does an early-stage VC actually look for before writing a cheque?

Read with it

  1. The most quoted essay on the mechanics of fundraising, distilled from YC Demo Day advice. It reframes fundraising as a sales... paulgraham.com Article · 45 min read How to Raise Money Paul Graham
  2. A leading early-stage Indian VC firm answering the questions founders wish they could ask a VC face-to-face, including how they... Prime Venture Partners Podcast Podcast · 30-50 min per episode Prime Venture Partners Podcast: Fundraising Masterclass for Founders Prime Venture Partners
  3. Long-form, candid interviews with Indian founders and investors on how they actually grew, distributed and built brand, one of... The Neon Show / Neon Fund Podcast · 200+ episodes The Neon Show (100x Entrepreneur Podcast) Siddhartha Ahluwalia
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