Andrew Gazdecki might have had some successful raises (totaling over $11M for his most recent venture) but paradoxically, he believes 99% of founders shouldn't raise. As the founder of Acquire.com, the best online marketplace to buy and sell startups - Andrew fills us in on the dangers of placing too much importance on fundraising as a founder. Instead he believes in focusing on constant improvement, listening to your customers, and creating an amazing culture. From there, everything else will f...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 3 min
The art of introductions is something heavily ignored when founders are learning how to start their fundraising process. Truth is, intros are the lifeblood of a great fundraise. There are many different components that go into making introductions, but today we'll be focusing specifically on forwardable emails. While meant to simplify, intros often backfire - especially if you lack a process behind it. This episode will give you all of the basics surrounding forwardable emails like sequences of ...
Aug 24, 2023•6 min
Side letters are not only more complicated than they seem but dangerous to your fundraise if not properly managed. Side letters, often accompanying standard agreements like safes, may seem harmless at first but can include onerous clauses like pro-rata rights. In this episode Jason emphasizes the importance of early negotiation and proactive communication to safeguard founder interests. Tune in to protect yourself from this common challenge in the fundraising world. ---------- If you're looking ...
Aug 17, 2023•5 min
A lot of people say that the hustle of an entrepreneur starts long before their first business. For Thomas McLeod, 5x serial entrepreneur, this couldn't be more true. Growing up, Tom never stayed in the same place for too long. Constantly bouncing around to different schools, it got him used to being uncomfortable and facing challenge. By the time he was in middle school, Tom was already calculating profit margins off of baseball cards that he was selling to his fellow classmates. As we get deep...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr
Project management - an often overlooked and unsexy aspect of fundraising. Contrary to the dramatic portrayals in movies, fundraising is essentially a series of repetitive and detailed tasks. While not brain surgery, these small actions demand attention and diligence. While it might seem like project management is 'taking away' from more glamorous business pursuits it's actually the underpinnings that form the foundation for success. Success in fundraising lies in effectively managing oneself an...
Aug 10, 2023•5 min
One of the most common dilemmas faced by founders in the fundraising world is the chicken and egg dynamic. Much like the age-old question, founders often grapple with the challenge of needing investor interest to gain confidence and at the same time, requiring confidence to attract investor interest. Truth is in order for an investor to be confident in you, you first have to be confident in yourself. In this episode, Jason will be exploring how to implement a process in order to break free from ...
Aug 03, 2023•4 min
Community & representation. These are the two things that Lolita Taub, founder of Ganas Ventures has prioritized while building her fund. Most people within venture would view the way in which Lolita has built her fund as unconventional or even impossible, but that hasn't stopped her from establishing one of the strongest communities filled with minorities and other underrepresented founders who have been pushed away from the 'conventional' world of Venture Capital. So where did this drive t...
Aug 01, 2023•50 min
We’re back on post-money cap SAFEs talk! In the previous episode, we explained what it is and how it works within the fundraising process. For this episode, Jason goes deeper as he illuminates a more specific topic: the anti-dilution provision within post-money cap SAFEs. With the evolution of the fundraising and startup worlds, many things have changed, and the rounds raised by founders are tremendously affected. This affects everyone in the process - both founders and investors. Tune in with u...
Jan 31, 2023•8 min
Founders are often intimidated by some of the more complex fundraising concepts. One of these is the concept of post-money cap SAFE. Post-money cap SAFEs can get tricky for some founders, especially for first-timers. In this episode, Jason dives a little deep into the dynamics of this concept, along with SAFEs in general, valuations, and how it all relates to the post-money cap SAFE. Get your pens and prepare for this episode as we talk about specific examples and scenarios, concepts involved, a...
Jan 24, 2023•8 min
We all have stories we like to keep to ourselves for many reasons. It’s uncomfortable to tell these stories because they may be a sign of weakness, a reminder of a terrible mistake, or that nobody would understand. This is why many founders tend to adopt the “fake it til they make it” attitude. This won’t work forever, though. In this episode, Jason tells a couple of stories where a founder’s vulnerability was precisely what they needed to get their investors to understand them fully. Tune in as...
Jan 17, 2023•6 min
Entering the fundraising world is one heck of a journey - a big rollercoaster ride, to be exact. You'll face endless ups and downs, and there will be times when you don’t know what to think or feel anymore. In this episode, Jason dives into the rollercoaster that founders experience throughout their rounds. Hear about the everyday things founders encounter when raising money, how they should deal with the never-ending change of emotions, and how you can stay above things. If you need a push for ...
Jan 10, 2023•4 min
Building decks is one of the most significant steps of preparing to fundraise. Knowing what to include and how to deliver it is key to a successful deck. Over time, people have used various tools to help them build their decks - but for Jason nothing beats this simple trick: note cards. In this episode, Jason Yeh talks about how note cards aid in the complicated deck-building process and how founders can take advantage of this tool. Find out how note cards can greatly improve your deck and how y...
Jan 03, 2023•5 min
Talking to investors can be gut-wrenching for founders, especially for first-timers. The anxiety of going up to someone, asking for money, and promising returns can shake founders up and cause them to lose focus. But it’s all about mindset. Are you chasing, or are you the one being chased? In this episode, Jason Yeh explains why embracing the concept of being chased is vital for founders when approaching investors. Join us as we uncover the truth behind the chase mentality in fundraising and how...
Dec 27, 2022•4 min
Every startup business knows that aside from expertise and skills, you also need grit and resilience when starting your company. Building from the ground up takes a lot of effort, skills, and of course, money. Not everyone finds it comfortable asking for money though. Founders raise money for one common reason: to scale the company. But there are also other possible reasons - like the reality of needing a salary. Bootstrapped turned venture-backed startups know this best - specifically our guest...
Dec 22, 2022•48 min
Founders heavily live in "grind culture" - working long hours and setting aside various personal parts of their lives to achieve their career goals. However, as we near the end of another year, it's important to remember that we all need a break. Take this holiday season as an opportunity to reset your mind and make your journey exciting again. In this episode, Jason Yeh talks us through the importance of getting rest in the midst of working hard for your company. He shares some stories about ho...
Dec 20, 2022•7 min
We all have to start from somewhere small, and venture capitalists are not an exception. They aren't magically "experts" in the field and know every twist and turn - VCs undergo training like the rest of us. In today's episode, Jason Yeh talks about what processes VCs go through to be considered experienced VCs who are looked up to in the industry. He covers what such training means to founders who brave the battlegrounds of raising money and responding to feedback. Tune in and discover the impo...
Dec 15, 2022•5 min
Did anybody say appetizers? We’re all in 🤤! Appetizers are underrated and frequently overlooked, but they are no less important than the main course, don’t you think? They get people excited and look forward to the next dish. Appetizers are an excellent primer for what’s yet to come - the main course. In today’s episode, Jason Yeh talks about the appetizer in fundraising: pitch decks. Join us as Jason talks about overcoming the feeling of unworthiness when pitching, improving your decks, and at...
Dec 13, 2022•5 min
Being a great entrepreneur is a commitment to continuous growth, learning, and experience. There isn’t only one profile of a great entrepreneur - it can be anyone and anywhere. One that might hold back success? Lack of resources. In today’s episode, Jason Yeh talks us through the impact of having support structures and a solid network in one’s fundraising journey - and the absence of them as well. We all have that potential or spark in us. But the harsh reality is that not everyone gets to turn ...
Dec 13, 2022•5 min
Getting your company’s valuation right is a crucial and complex process that hugely affects the future of your company. Too high? Investors might think it’s a turnoff. Too low? You gave away too much and shot yourself in the foot. Because of ego and pride, most founders tend to pursue the highest valuation possible. Most founders but not this episode’s guest. Emmanuel Straschnov, a French entrepreneur and co-founder of Bubble, asked for a lower valuation in the seed round for his company. And if...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min
The key to creating a remarkable network and achieving a successful fundraise? Credibility. In this episode, Jason Yeh talks about credibility - how important and fragile it is when you are a founder looking for your investors. With everything uncertain in the startup and fundraising world, credibility is one of the few things investors predictably rely on. Tune in with this episode and find out stories about credibility, its importance, and how you can safeguard it! ---------- If you're looking...
Nov 29, 2022•5 min
Getting constructive feedback from experienced investors has always been part of any founder’s journey. When it comes to feedback, it’s vital that you accept this truth: your business is not for everyone, and that’s okay. Some will like it, some might take time to see your vision, and some will immediately reject it. In this episode, Jason Yeh talks about one of the most famous painful pieces of feedback that investors give founders: “This isn’t venture-backable.” That feedback isn’t the end of ...
Nov 22, 2022•7 min
When you are a first-time founder and fundraiser, the first thing you’ll look for is a guide. You’ll look for successful founders in the industry you’re planning to enter, or companies that share the same vision. And most likely, you’ll look for ones that have a similar background. Like any other beginner, you need a pattern to follow. But what do you do when you don’t have a model to follow because you are actually the first person to step in that door? No guide. No patterns. No representation....
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Now that the world is slowly emerging from the pandemic that transformed our lives over the past two years, it’s about time that things go back to normal. Catching up in person, talking over coffee, meeting for dinner - it’s been a while, and a trip to Brazil for a live workshop reminded Jason why face-to-face is so important. In this episode, Jason talks about the power of holding in-person meetings. Despite the convenience that zoom meetings offer founders and investors, nothing beats the expe...
Nov 15, 2022•7 min
Prioritizing tasks during fundraising preparation is one of the essential things a founder must stay on top of. A common struggle with this is starting to work on important fundraising tasks that don’t feel urgent. In today’s episode, Jason talks about the Eisenhower matrix - a matrix that explains the different tasks you encounter, the struggle of prioritizing those tasks, and how you can deal with it all. Discover the “danger zone” in the Eisenhower Matrix of fundraising preparation and what y...
Nov 08, 2022•4 min
No matter how much you plan for your fundraise, you're still bound to be challenged. Investors want to know that they're betting on a founder who knows his industry cold, has an incredible plan, and can pull it all together to create a huge outcome. However, no amount of planning could prepare the co-founder and CEO of Flow Club, Ricky Yean, for the challenge he was about to face. At the beginning of 2020, he wanted to build a consumer-social product. Unfortunately, by the time he started prepar...
Nov 03, 2022•54 min
Ever wonder what’s the first thing that comes to mind for investors when they see your deal? Aside from curiosity, anxiety creeps up on them, too. One of the biggest anxieties that cross investors' minds? “Why am I seeing this deal?” Two things they’re considering - are they seeing your deal because it came from a good source… or are they seeing your deal because it was rejected by other investors. In today’s episode, Jason gives us a peek inside the mind of investors - and how fundraisers could...
Nov 01, 2022•6 min
Thesis-driven firms have been on the rise for the past few years. These firms have a specific area of focus - one they use as a main driver for their marketing. Because of this, some founders have a hard time in finding the “right” firm they’d want to invest in their business. But did you know there's a dirty little secret behind these theses? In today’s episode, Jason reveals a secret behind thesis-driven firms - and what you can do with that information. Find out this secret and get some actio...
Oct 20, 2022•4 min
They say the second time’s a charm - and that rings true for Robbie Bent, CEO and Co-Founder of Othership, specifically on his fundraising and founder story. Like most entrepreneurs, he had a massive drive to succeed. His mindset, however, turned out to be one of the major things holding him back from what he was really passionate about. He pushed beyond limits, and reached a point where he needed to step back. Needless to say, his first ever experience fundraising taught him basically everythin...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min
As founders, it’s normal to want to show investors that you are worth it - that you are an expert in your field and that your company means something. This is the main reason why a lot of founders make the mistake of overcomplicating their pitch. You try to show the value of your company without realizing that there’s unnecessary complexity attached to it. In today’s episode, Jason talks about why you should not be doing this. Find out what “pitch the circle” means, and how this relates to the w...
Oct 20, 2022•3 min
Diversity hasn’t always been a major part of the world of venture capital and startups. But founders of different ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds have started entering the market in a big way. As that’s happened, it’s been amazing to watch the ever-changing landscape of founders starting their own companies. In this special Funded episode, we look back and hear the stories of diverse founders we got to encounter the last two seasons: Erin Carpenter, Isharna Walsh, Nicole Emrani Green, and...
Oct 07, 2022•42 min
