Qualifying Advisors: Don't Waste Time on Inexperienced Mentors

Many founders think the first meeting with a VC is the most important one. It’s not. What really matters is the follow-up. VCs meet hundreds of founders every year. If you don’t follow up, they will simply move on to the next opportunity. A simple follow-up can: • Clarify questions they raised • Share progress since the meeting • Show that you execute quickly • Keep your startup on their radar Sometimes the investment doesn’t happen immediately. But consistent updates can turn a “not now” into a “yes later.” Fundraising is not just about pitching. It’s about building relationships over time.

Most first-time founders would rather pitch an investor than cold call a prospect. That's not a strategy. That's avoidance. I get it. Fundraising feels like progress. You're in rooms with smart people, telling your story, getting signal. Cold outreach feels like the opposite. You call a clinic, get past the front desk maybe one in ten times, and someone hangs up before you finish your second sentence. But that's where the information is. Not in a partner meeting. On the phone with someone who doesn't care about your vision and just needs to know why they should give you another thirty seconds. You learn not to take the hangup personally. It almost never means anything about your product. It means the timing was off, or you led with the wrong line. Both fixable. You only learn what's fixable by staying on the phone long enough to hear the pattern. What I keep seeing is founders raising capital to avoid this phase entirely. They tell themselves that more runway will solve the problem. It won't. Capital doesn't create product-market fit. Conversations create product-market fit. And if you're spending your weeks chasing term sheets instead of calling the people who would actually use what you built, you're not de-risking the business. You're de-risking your ego. Raising money to delay proving demand doesn't extend your runway. It just makes the lesson more expensive.

Everyone talks about “building in public.” But as busy founders, are we actually doing it? 🫠 I’ll be honest.. since becoming a founder, my content has taken a hit. Startup life is chaotic. Fundraising. Product. Customers. Ops. Repeat. And somehow the “important but not urgent” things — like telling your story consistently — get pushed aside. We all know it matters. For brand. For network. For raising money. But knowing and doing are two different things!! Yesterday I was talking to my friend Anna Kaplan about this exact tension. How founders are expected to be operators, visionaries, salespeople… and somehow also content machines. What stuck with me is how clearly she sees this gap. She’s building a consulting firm focused on helping founders articulate their story in a way that actually moves the needle. Whether that’s attracting talent, customers, or communicating more sharply in VC rooms. We went over our pitch deck for 20 minutes, and she immediately sharpened angles we hadn’t even considered. It reminded me that you don’t have to do everything alone. Sometimes the smartest move isn’t “doing more” — it’s getting the right support. If you’re a founder feeling this tension too, she’s someone worth talking to. I’ve linked her website in the comments below 🤍 👀

"Small angels / small investors can be have outsize impact on your fundraise" - exactly the philosophy we subscribe to at Angelumni. We're a small group, syndicating modest but meaningful checks, but we aim to bring much more than money to the table. Deep subject matter expertise. Industry-specific and geographic networks. A willingness to roll up our sleeves and help. US-based alumni from international universities making smart - and impactful - investments into startups originating from their alma mater. #angelinvesting #alumniinvesting #startups #fundraising

It's true that the compounding power of multiple angel investors is significant. Personally, I see the crowd (both accredited and non-accredited) participating much more significantly in early-stage capitalization, but also, becoming a crucial nexus of portfolio support services.

Most small businesses should not raise money. That may sound counterintuitive in today’s startup culture, where funding is often treated as validation. But capital doesn’t fix confusion. It amplifies it. If positioning isn’t clear, more money accelerates inefficiency. If the audience isn’t validated, more spend increases burn. If the offer isn’t sharp, scaling multiplies friction. Many small and mid-sized businesses don’t need acceleration, they need precision. Before pursuing outside capital, founders should ask: Is the business model proven? Is positioning clear? Are unit economics strong? Is growth slow because of capital or clarity? In our latest article, we explore why raising money too early can create pressure before structure and why strategy must come first. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e_yeAJ7D #BrandStrategy #SmallBusinessGrowth #FounderLed #GoToMarket #BusinessClarity

Alice Bentinck breaks down how Entrepreneurs First helps founders go from zero to raising $2–15M in months. Her view: funding isn’t the bottleneck, finding the right co-founder and early guidance is. Listen to her conversation with Scott McGrew at Sand Hill Road here: https://lnkd.in/gGzjeEYc

🎯 A hard truth about startup fundraising most founders won't admit: You're likely giving away your negotiating power BEFORE you even realize it's gone. I just read this excellent breakdown from Iain Christie about why the fundraising playing field is tilted against founders. The key insight? Founders often treat fundraising like an exam (where they're being evaluated) instead of a negotiation (where both sides have something at stake). Here's what happens: ✋ You over-prepare your pitch and under-prepare your questions 🤐 You assume capital is the only scarce resource (investors have scarcity too: good deal flow!) 📊 You disclose proprietary info without asking for clarity or commitment in return 💭 You accept investor language and timeline as immutable By the time a term sheet arrives, much of your leverage has already been quietly lost through patterns established weeks before. The fix? Enter fundraising knowing: - You're in a partnership negotiation, not a performance review - Information should flow both ways - You should ask questions before you answer them - Process itself is negotiable Want to stay in control of your raise? Read the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/ewGe5_hn #Fundraising #StartupLife #FounderTips #VentureCapital

What founders say: “How do I make money now?” What founders should say: “How do I get funding, strategically?” Earlier this week, our Hubble experts Kat Weaver and Mollie Jahner joined forces to walk founders through alternative paths to funding. From opportunities, to founder resources, to pathways, to smart exists. This discussion wasn’t just about securing unique funding strategies, but learning how to navigate the landscape of capital sources, and how they shape your company’s trajectory. Here are some of the main topics we discussed: 1/ Funding is never neutral. Every source carries its own incentives, constraints, and expectations. 2/ Your funding path shapes everything: control, dilution, growth speed, and your exit options. 3/ Most founders default to VC without realizing there are better options out there. 4/ Corporate grants aren't like government grants. You can stack them, stay agile, and keep the lights on. 5/ When done right, grants help build alignment, report discipline, and a compelling impact story, and can evolve into a major long-term partnership. 6/ Think in stages: start with grants, layer in angels, stack another grant, then move toward VC or institutional money. (If this fits your path) 7/ Grants de-risk. Accelerators validate. Fellowships signal credibility. Then investor capital comes in and compounds everything. If you’re seeking an alternative fundraising path right now, remember: - Don’t take rejection personally - Grants are a temporary solution, not a long-term cushion - Revenue will always be your best investor - Every time you pitch, you’re improving Whether you’re just starting your founder journey, wanting to learn more about grants, or ready to start fundraising... you don't have to pick the traditional path. Give one (or more) of these strategies a try for your business. It just might change everything. Want deeper 1:1 advice with these experts? Book them on Hubble: 👉 Kat Weaver: https://lnkd.in/gGeAQZee 👉 Mollie Jahner: https://lnkd.in/g_y4gdPh

Fundraising takes longer than founders think. Here's the real timeline. Methodology: 1. Start 9 months before cash zero. Yes, 9 months. Fundraising takes 3-6 months. Then you need buffer. 2. Month 1-2: Preparation. Update model, prepare data room, refine pitch, practice. Don't skip this. 3. Month 3-4: Outreach. Warm intros first. Then targeted cold outreach. Aim for 50 conversations. 4. Month 5: Partner meetings. Second meetings with interested VCs. Deep dives, reference calls, partner presentations. 5. Month 6: Term sheets and closing. Negotiate terms, legal work, money in bank. 6. Throughout: Keep running the business. Revenue doesn't stop during fundraising. Neither should growth. Don't wait until you're desperate. Desperation smells. VCs avoid it. Raise when you have time. And You'll experience: · Less stress during the process · Better terms from multiple offers · More confidence in meetings · Cleaner data room · Faster closes · Happier investors "The best time to raise money is when you don't need it" — Every VC ever. Start early. For founders reading this: We help startups prepare for fundraising. DM me "RAISE" and I'll send you our fundraising timeline checklist.