Gabriele Borga

Imagine you are getting a 20x ARR acquisition offer post Series A... And your investors are against taking it. Because it offers little more than a 1-2x return for investors who got in during the last round. And only ~3-4x for Seed investors - considering Seed median pre-money valuations of ~$15M and dilution. Well below their return expectations. You need to be aware that VC math works a bit differently. A life-changing sum for founders may only represent a marginal ROI for VCs.

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🌟 How VCs Decide to Take a First Meeting? 12 Key Factors 🌟 Raising funds for your startup? Here are the crucial elements that VCs consider when deciding to take that first meeting: 1️⃣ Team – How do we know your team is excellent? ↘️ The quality and experience of the founding team are crucial. Investors look for founders who can learn quickly and have a track record of excellence in previous endeavors. The team should demonstrate their ability to scale and manage various aspects of the business. 2️⃣ Company – Describe what your company does in one sentence. ↘️ Founders need to succinctly describe what their company does in one sentence. This "cocktail party pitch" should be engaging, emotional, and intriguing to capture the investor's attention. 3️⃣ Market – What is the market opportunity and why will it be big? ↘️ The market opportunity should be large and compelling. Founders should articulate why their market is significant and how their startup can expand it. 4️⃣ Business model – How do you make money? Who pays? What are the margins? ↘️ Clarity on how the company makes money, who pays, and what the margins are is essential. Investors need to understand the unit economics and potential scalability of the business model. 5️⃣ Geography – Where is the team based? ↘️ The location of the team can influence the investor's decision, especially if the investor prefers to invest locally or has a bias towards or against distributed teams. 6️⃣ Number of Employees – How big is your team? ↘️ The size of the team gives investors a sense of the company's stage and operational expenses, helping set expectations for progress and sophistication. 7️⃣ Timing – Why is now the right timing for your company? ↘️ Founders need to explain why now is the right time for their startup, considering recent market trends, technological advances, regulatory changes, or shifts in consumer behavior. 8️⃣ Traction – What are the traction metrics that show what you have achieved so far? ↘️ Demonstrating traction through relevant metrics is vital. Early-stage startups can use qualitative metrics like customer testimonials if quantitative data is limited. 9️⃣ Fundraising – How much do you want to raise? ↘️ Clarity on the amount of money being raised. Founders should have a specific target rather than a range and be prepared to justify the amount in terms of the company's needs and growth plans. 10. Fundraising History – Who have you raised from, how much, and when? ↘️ Information about previous funding rounds, including amounts raised and from whom, helps investors understand the startup's financial history. 11. Fit – What about this particular investor (or firm) makes you interested in meeting with them? ↘️ Founders should articulate why they are interested in a particular investor or firm, showing alignment with the investor's focus and expertise. 12. Referrer – Who introduced you to the VC? ↘️ An introduction from a trusted source can secure a meeting with a VC.

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How Pricing Evolves in Startups: Even big companies get pricing wrong. In 2011, Netflix raised prices from $10 to $16 for its DVD and streaming bundle, leading to 1 million more cancellations than expected. Pricing is crucial—it can: → Signal value → Affect revenue → Influence growth Here are key questions to guide your pricing strategy: 1️⃣ Does your price reflect value? Your price should match your value proposition. Netflix's price hike reminded customers how little they used the service, leading to mass exits. 2️⃣ How do you compare to competitors? Competitors' prices set a benchmark but aren't your ceiling. Clarify your value to justify higher pricing. 3️⃣ What does your customer value? Understand what each persona values. Netflix missed that customers loved the combined service's flexibility, even if they rarely used the DVDs. As businesses evolve, so should pricing. Early startups may focus on growth, while mature businesses focus on value capture. Whatever model you choose, keep it simple. Follow All Chance Hub to learn from more innovative visuals.

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How Pricing Evolves in Startups: Even big companies get pricing wrong. In 2011, Netflix raised prices from $10 to $16 for its DVD and streaming bundle, leading to 1 million more cancellations than expected. Pricing is crucial—it can: → Signal value → Affect revenue → Influence growth Here are key questions to guide your pricing strategy: 1️⃣ Does your price reflect value? Your price should match your value proposition. Netflix's price hike reminded customers how little they used the service, leading to mass exits. 2️⃣ How do you compare to competitors? Competitors' prices set a benchmark but aren't your ceiling. Clarify your value to justify higher pricing. 3️⃣ What does your customer value? Understand what each persona values. Netflix missed that customers loved the combined service's flexibility, even if they rarely used the DVDs. As businesses evolve, so should pricing. Early startups may focus on growth, while mature businesses focus on value capture. Whatever model you choose, keep it simple. Follow All Chance to learn from more innovative insights. #Startup #innovation #entrepreneurship #sustainability #investing #networking #venturecapital #fundraising #money

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💡Contact the right investors for your startup! It sounds simple, but most first-time founders fail to do it. So, here’s a simplified guide: 💵 Up to 100K Euros This is a relatively small amount, and your startup will likely have minimal traction. Approaching investors who don’t know you makes no sense, and the paperwork and time required to complete such deals don’t justify the effort. Therefore, this funding typically comes from the (in)famous FFF: Friends, Family, and Fools. To avoid unnecessary dilution: Structure the investment as a convertible loan or a SAFE to avoid negotiating terms with people who have no clue about startups. 💵💵 100K - 1 Million Euros This is classic business angel territory. For most first-time founders, this involves reaching outside their network. Focus locally. Business angels tend to invest in their city or region, where they can add value and conduct due diligence. Reaching out to angels on the other side of the world usually has a 0% success rate unless you already have a connection. Angels often co-invest, as a 500K Euro round is more than most angels would commit individually. Once you secure a local angel (e.g., for 50K-100K Euros), ask if they can introduce others from their network. Well-connected angels will help you make introductions, but you must close the deals yourself. 💵💵💵 1 - 2 Million Euros Rounds exceeding 1 million Euros are more challenging to close. You don’t want 20 angels on your cap table. You must structure this round differently unless you know a few wealthy angels. Typically, this involves bringing in a VC fund or family office. Either one fund that takes the entire amount, or you combine a fund with several angels. A 1 million Euro round might include one fund investing 500K Euros, with the rest coming from a handful of angels. Sometimes, the VC commits first and introduces you to angels in their network. Other times, angels lead, connecting you with VCs they know. Pre-seed VC funding is still relatively local, so connect with local funds first. If you have committed angels, they can introduce you to international VC funds they know already from previous deals. 💵💵💵💵 +2 Million Euros This is VC territory, where the dynamics depend on the amount you raise. Local funds dominate early rounds, while late-stage rounds often include global players. But even VCs like to syndicate with other funds. Having a local VC commit to the round sends a strong signal to international VCs, since the local investor has greater insight into the founders and market. Angels take a backseat at this stage but may be invited by VCs for small tickets, especially if they bring specialized expertise. ------------------------- And that’s why, as a business angel, I didn’t spend time evaluating the amazing opportunity to invest in the $450 million USD round pictured below. ------------------------- #guide #startupinvesting #businessangel

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🚩 22 investor red flags to look out for. 🚩 You deserve the best investors! But it’s easy to make a mistake. There are over 8,400* VCs in Europe alone. During fundraising you will meet many. And not all investors are created equal. They will all be selling themselves well. You will read and hear all kinds of superlatives. Spotting early red flags is essential. I’ve decided to help you out on this. 🚩 22 investor red flags to look out for 🚩 > Arrogant behavior > Highlife party culture mentality > No track record in your industry > Pressing you to make a decision > Slow response in communication > Slow in the due diligence process > No clear value-add besides money > Wanting to take >50% of the company > Very aggressive valuation negotiations > The VC worked only in financial services > Demanding lock-up exclusivity, during DD > Conflict of interest with other investments > No prior founder experience in the VC fund > Demanding unrealistic stake. Check trends > Wanting too many board seats or veto rights > Discouraging you to do due diligence on them > Not transparent in advance with LP constraints > No exploratory calls with your customers (if any) > Corruption proposals. Getting you into a scheme > Late for meetings and acting like nothing’s wrong > Bad feedback on them by their portfolio founders. > No transparency on process, criteria, decision-makers If you see any of these red flags, be cautious. Dig deeper. If things don’t look well, move on. It’s 8,400* of them in Europe alone. P.S. What red flags would you add? 🚩 Let's discuss in the comments. ⬇️ *According to Crunchbase

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You can reach +280.000 Impressions on a 200 Follower company page 😳 (It’s So Effective, Feels Like Cheating) ——————————— Follow scaletech for daily tech brand scaling tips and insights. Generating +3M Impressions per Month for clients. DM to work with us. (♻️ reshare if you found this useful)

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How to raise 1 Billion (1,000,000,000) USD with a text-only website (I guess the font is Times New Roman :) ) 3 months after founding your startup and now having reached 5 Billion USD valuation !!!! Ok, easy if your founder is Ilya Sutskever, former Chief Scientist of OpenAI, and you have offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, the two best places for AI developments in the world!! Insane!!! Company is called Safe Superintelligence (#SSI) and the name is everything what the company is about and the sole focus according to the founders. #AI #SafeAI #VCs #SiliconValley #Israel #startupnation

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In developing ADAPTABLE BUSINESS BLUEPRINTS various Insights can be Valuable? In focusing this month on RAPID SCALE let us peruse the opportunity to gather FRAMEWORKS and STRATEGIC INFORMATION shared. STAGE 1: Gathering of Strategic Business Information for Competitiveness on LinkedIn. Please add if you want to join my journey? Most Businesses struggle to break free from stagnation. We have a proven process that helps to design a new BLUEPRINT for expansive growth. In our times the organisations and individuals that thrive are the very INNOVATIVE and ADAPTABLE ones, who LEARN CONTINUOUSLY. Please note what we offer in Ceobusinessclub.com and mocafrica.com to drive ADAPTABILITY and GROWTH enabling you with world-class designed and tested BLUEPRINTS to GROWTH. Taking you on a lifelong journey of LEARNING. The next Big CEOBusinesslcub.com event is from 3-4 June with DR Wong from Singapore. In person at the Klein Kaap Hotel and Conference Centre Centurion South Africa. Book your space - only a few seats are available. Pieter +27833040987 # Adaptability #Lifelong Learning, # Business Tool Innovation # Strategy # Innovation # Digital # AI #Networking,#Dealmaking,#Investing and #Exponential Business Growth

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🚀 "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀" 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁! 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 We’ve all heard it: “The team is the most important factor in a startup.” This idea, made popular by Silicon Valley legends like Sequoia Capital’s Don Valentine and later Guy Kawasaki, insist that investors prioritize people over everything else. But let’s be honest: traction is what really matters. Integrity? Of course, it’s a given. But if your startup has real traction - I’m talking about $100k monthly recurring revenue (MRR) with 20% month-over-month growth - investors won’t care if you’re a first-time founder, an introvert, a serial entrepreneur or an asshole. Traction de-risks the investment. It’s proof that there’s market demand and that your business can scale. Sure, if someone like Sam Altman launched a new startup, he’d be funded without even a pitch deck. His track record alone is enough to get investors on board. But most of us can't show a comparable track record. Most tech startup founders are university graduates / dropouts or other individuals with maybe some experience. Successful serial entrepreneurs may have a bit of a bonus but traction is still more important. If you can show solid traction, investors will fund you even if you’re not Sam Altman or Mark Zuckerberg. Traction trumps team. Investors don’t care who you are, they care about what you’ve done. Focus on growing your numbers, and the funding will follow. What’s your opinion / experience on this? #startups #founders #VC #traction

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3 Steps for a Clear Marketing Roadmap Credits to Pierre Herubel, follow him for more practical content. Original post below: ------ The worst marketing scenario for B2B founders: - Copy competitors' content with no direction - Launch new tactics without clear roadmap - Try a new hack, abandon, try another one - Forget to track and analyze results In other words: run in every directions. The worst marketing scenario is when you don't have a clear direction. Or even worse, when you have multiple directions at the same time. One step ahead, two step backs, get lost, then start from scratch again. An unclear direction is devastating for morale: - Lack of clarity → "where are we going with this?" - Decision Paralysis → "what should we do next now?" - Poor results → "prospects are not interested right now" From the market perspective, it's even worse. - "I don't get what they do, it's always changing" - "I think they boost revenue, but not sure how" If you publish content, ads, or headlines and change all the time, your audience won't be able to 'position' you in their mind. You'll remain an unclear noise constantly fluctuating in the background. Good news: there is a clear roadmap to set up a direction. 1. Marketing Strategy: Lay down the foundation You need to constantly define and update the big 6 (Target Audience, Offer, Value Proposition, Positioning, Messaging, Brand Manifesto). They will be your leading light to make all your decisions. 2. Marketing System: Plan your efforts Before trying to publish content, ads or pages, 'think systems' first. You need to install a robust roadmap to organize your marketing actions. For early stage startups, installing a marketing backlog is mandatory (link in comments). 3. Marketing Operations: Reach your audience Becoming 'top of mind' is a game of repetition. You need to spread your messages coherently and consistently across all your channels. If you are solving a PUR problem and communicate how, you'll build momentum. ------ Follow Daily Infographics for the best business visuals daily.

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𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱. Think cold emailing VCs and angel investors is outdated? Think again. The right approach can open doors to pivotal conversations and opportunities. Here are some great email openers and practical tips for cold emails that can get you noticed by VCs and angel investors, inspired by Eva Dobrzanska’s Cold Outreach Playbook: ✅ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. ● Example: "I noticed you recently invested in [company] and I share your passion for [industry]." ● Why it works: Establishes personal rapport and shows you’ve done your homework. ✅ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗖'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁. ● Example: "Our AI-powered SaaS startup has achieved 40% MoM growth and secured a lead investor for our seed round." ● Why it works: Demonstrates your startup’s potential and grabs attention with concrete results. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵. ● Example: "I'm reaching out because I believe [your fund] would be a great fit for our [industry] startup given your investments in [company] and [company]." ● Why it works: Shows you’ve researched their portfolio and align with their investment goals. ✅ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁. ● Example: "I'll be attending [conference] next month and would love to discuss our startup over coffee if you'll also be there." ● Why it works: Offers a natural and convenient opportunity to connect in person. ✅ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆. ● Example: "I'm confident our [product] will change the [industry] landscape and would welcome the opportunity to discuss further." ● Why it works: Projects assurance and excitement about your venture. 🚫 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱: “I’m reaching out to discuss an investment opportunity.” “We are a startup looking for funding.” “I found your contact information online and thought to reach out.” A well-crafted email opener can significantly increase your chances of getting a response from investors. Personalization, relevance, and confidence are key to making a strong first impression. 💬 What cold email openers have worked for you? Share in the comments to help build our community library of successful outreach strategies! #fundraising #venturecapital #entrepeneurship #startup Comment: I work with innovators just like you on a daily basis, and they often seem to feel isolated, navigating the complex world of startup funding without a guiding hand. Explore how I can help you seize more opportunities: https://lnkd.in/gRYiGxcn. 

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🚀 How to Build a Profitable Bootstrapped Digital-First Company 💡 5 frameworks that help you do exactly that 👇 Building a profitable company from the ground up without external funding requires sharp insights, the right frameworks, and smart decision-making. Here’s how you can do it using analysis and proven frameworks: Start with RICE: Use the RICE Framework (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) to prioritize features and projects that will have the greatest impact with minimal effort. This ensures you’re focusing on what truly matters, especially when resources are limited. MOM Framework: Apply the MOM (Market, Opportunity, Message) Framework to deeply understand your market. What is the opportunity you're tapping into? What’s your message to that audience? This clarity will set you apart. Product-Market Fit (PMF): Achieving PMF is key to long-term profitability. Ensure your product resonates with your target audience. Constantly iterate based on feedback until your customers can’t live without it. AARRR Framework: For growth, implement the AARRR Framework (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue). This helps track each stage of the customer journey, from acquisition to conversion and revenue generation. NPS: Don’t overlook Net Promoter Score (NPS). Measure customer satisfaction regularly and refine your product based on their feedback. Happy customers are the foundation of sustainable growth. Combining these frameworks will give you a clear roadmap to build, grow, and sustain a digital-first business—all without the need for external funding. Remember, it’s not about luck. It’s about executing with precision. Let’s dive deep into your strategy and make it work! #BusinessStrategy #Bootstrapping #DigitalFirst #MarketInsights #FrameworksForSuccess #Entrepreneurship Follow Jigarjit Singh for more insights on building profitable businesses!

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What do deeptech VCs do? See you soon, Alex #vc #venturecapital #startups #spinouts

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3 Steps For a Clear Marketing Roadmap Credits to Pierre Herubel, follow him for more useful marketing content. ------ Here's the original post: The worst marketing scenario for B2B founders: - Copy competitors' content with no direction - Launch new tactics without a clear roadmap - Try a new hack, abandon, try another one - Forget to track and analyze results In other words: run in every directions. The worst marketing scenario is when you don't have a clear direction. Or even worse, when you have multiple directions at the same time. One step ahead, two steps back, get lost, then start from scratch again. An unclear direction is devastating for morale: - Lack of clarity → "where are we going with this?" - Decision Paralysis → "what should we do next now?" - Poor results → "prospects are not interested right now" From the market perspective, it's even worse. - "I don't get what they do, it's always changing" - "I think they boost revenue, but not sure how" If you publish content, ads, or headlines and change all the time, your audience won't be able to 'position' you in their mind. You'll remain an unclear noise constantly fluctuating in the background. Good news: there is a clear roadmap to set up a direction. 1. Marketing Strategy: Lay down the foundation You need to constantly define and update the big 6 (Target Audience, Offer, Value Proposition, Positioning, Messaging, Brand Manifesto). They will be your leading light to make all your decisions. 2. Marketing System: Plan your efforts Before trying to publish content, ads or pages, 'think systems' first. You need to install a robust roadmap to organize your marketing actions. For early-stage startups, installing a marketing backlog is mandatory (link in comments). 3. Marketing Operations: Reach your audience Becoming 'top of mind' is a game of repetition. You need to spread your messages coherently and consistently across all your channels. If you are solving a PUR problem and communicate how you'll build momentum. **** Important precision: Your 'messaging' and 'positioning' are not visible to the audience as such. They are revealed through your copy, headlines, speeches, and everything that is seen or heard by the audience. Writing something on a slide doesn't matter. What matters are all the touch points that you release on the market. ------- Follow Business Infographics to learn from the best visuals.

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The single biggest risk to your #startup is that nobody wants your product According to CB Insights, 42% of startups fail because of “No Market Need” In the visual below by Lenny Rachitsky, you can check how long it took for some of the most successful #startups to reach product-market fit 👇

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How to Close an Angel Round: Securing angel investment requires strategic planning and building momentum. Here are essential steps to help you close the round: 1. Mass Syndication: Approach multiple investors simultaneously to create urgency and increase social proof. 2. Set Terms Below Market: Start with investor-friendly terms and valuation to gain initial traction with interested angels. 3. Build Social Proof: Mention reputable backers who have shown interest, as this can create momentum among other investors. 4. Rolling Close Strategy: Accept funds as they come, rather than waiting for the full round to close, allowing you to stay agile with cash flow. 5. Use Angel Networks: Platforms like AngelList can connect you with potential investors and streamline introductions. 6. Clear Deadline: Set a timeline to push for commitment, using milestones like holidays or oversubscription to create urgency. #AngelInvesting #StartupFunding #InvestorRelations #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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