Alexej Pikovsky’s Post

Fundraising is a core pillar of the venture backed ecosystem. Managing relationships between investors that are relevant for a current fundraise, and those who will need to be cultivated ahead of a future round; is often touted as the art vs science skillset of a great founder. The truth is, more often than not, it’s about managing a spreadsheet daily and weekly regardless of where a founder is in the fundraising cycle. We’ve built a CRM to not just keep track but actively remind founders about keep warms and critical follow ups, so you don’t burn time building flows and lists in excel. #worksmarternotharder #founderlife #fundraising #crmsolutions #investorrelations

The SOLUTION of a spreadsheet doesn’t scale; the PROBLEMS do. Any pain in a spreadsheet exponentially increases with each line added. #spreadsheet #techdebt #analysts #compounding #problems

🚀 Fundraising secrets for first-time founders 🚀 Raise Millions by Hustle Fund simplifies fundraising. No longer just for Silicon Valley insiders, this guide empowers first-time founders everywhere—from solo entrepreneurs in 🇮🇳 to fresh graduates in 🇺🇸. Thank you Rubén D. for recently sharing this great resource! Learn step-by-step: 🏦 Fundraising Process 📊 Crafting a Killer Pitch Deck 🤝 Investor Relationship Building 🎤 Perfecting Your Pitch ✔️ Securing Verbal Commitments Anything else that should be included? Let us know in the comments! #report #founder #insights #fundraising

Raising your first funding round is a whole different game—I learned that the hard way! When I was just starting out, we had to piece together the fundraising process from scratch, and let me tell you, it was a grind. If only Jon Low's book, "Raising Your Institutional Round", had been around back then! It’s like a blueprint for navigating the VC landscape without all the trial and error. Jon has helped founders secure over $500 million in venture capital, and he’s distilled those insights into this playbook so you don’t have to go it alone. If you're gearing up to fundraise, grab this book and skip some of those painful (and expensive) rookie mistakes! Check it out here 👇

🚀 Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level? Discover the secrets to securing funding for your startup or expansion with our FREE "GET FUNDED" Guide! 📈 Unlock the key steps to success, including: ✅ What it takes to convince funders ✅ Where to apply to raise your funding ✅ Essential document checklist ✅ Avoiding common fundraising pitfalls ✅ Exclusive tips from our Funding Strategist, Dagmar Breiling Don't miss out on this invaluable resource. Get started on your journey to business growth today! 💼 🔓 Secure your FREE guide here: https://bit.ly/3NZQDhK #StartupSuccess #GetFunded #BusinessExpansion #SecureYourFuture

How to Register to Advertise Your Fundraising Campaign Struggling to get visibility for your fundraising campaign?  Join us on September 25 for a free webinar where experts will guide you step-by-step on how to register and advertise your fundraising campaign. Here’s what you’ll learn: Legal steps to ensure your campaign is fully compliant. How to craft an effective fundraising strategy that gets noticed. Live feedback from professionals who’ve helped countless startups succeed. Save the date: Wednesday, September 25   Time: 12 PM Pacific Time Register now!: https://lnkd.in/eV-NymnC  Join Zoom Meeting: https://lnkd.in/eCrWZpWU P.S. What's the biggest hurdle in your fundraising journey? #StartupGrowth #FundraisingStrategy #FreeWebinar 

Early-stage founders are, by necessity, strongly identified with their company (who they are and who the company is = one). This serves as an advantage in many ways: -> They are sensitive to the heartbeat of their company, and, almost intuitively know if something is wrong (or right). -> Use human survival instinct as a source of energy. If there is a threat, they will often do anything they can to avoid perceived 'death.' However, when #fundraising at the early-stage, it is often helpful to momentarily dis-identify from their company so they can effectively articulate their opportunity to investors. Especially on important points such as: -> Differentiation (or unique POV). -> Natural strengths and unfair advantage. We are often blind to our own excellence because it can feel so natural and seem so obvious that we don't think it special. The same thing can be said about our glaring blindspots and weaknesses. So for #founders gearing up for a fundraise, I always suggesting working with some great sounding boards and advisors who can help you step out of your business and honestly assess it: - Strengths - Weaknesses/gaps - Can narrative, networks, and salesmanship actually compensate for those gaps? - If not, what needs to change (product, gtm, etc.) materially to even have a baseline shot at raising your next round? https://lnkd.in/grZ6_ehe

Don't take rejection from VCs personally and, in no way, don't let it put you down. Here's what to do instead: 👉 Understand their reasons and POV - Usually, rejection is based on factors that are out of your control - market conditions, previous experiences, timing or risk. Try to understand the investor's point of view and learn how to object the risks at the next meeting. 👉 Ask for feedback - After understanding the investor's POV, ask for their feedback. Take this opportunity to improve, refine or change your fundraising strategy and approach. 👉 Maintain relationships - If an investor has passed on your start-up, it doesn't mean they don't want to hear about you anymore. Thank them for their time, their answer, and stay connected. They might come in handy in the future - them or their connections. hashtag #founders #venturecapital #fundraising

They say Fundraising is like dating - You set a meeting 📆 , it gets rescheduled 📩 , you get ghosted 👻 . I used to get surprised when hearing founder stories about working hard to get warm intros to meet investors >>> set meet >>> investor cancels with promise of follow up >>> then ghost. But it happens more often than you think, you start to know which investors do it. From a branding POV founders definitely remember this behaviour and share with others, because there was good energy spent getting the warm intro and setting the follow ups to just end in a wormhole. Just waiting for someone to create the VCGhost index to call it out. Whether it's dating or fundraising, just say thanks but no thanks. Simple. #vc #fundraising #investorrelations #founderjourney #feedback

Here's a non-obvious take: Raising investment isn't a victory lap. It's more like an IOU note from your future self. 📝 Yes, you've convinced someone to believe in your vision. That's commendable. 👏 But remember, every dollar raised is a promise to deliver. A commitment to scale. It's a liability, not a trophy. 🏆 Investors are not your fans. They are your accountability partners. Their applause comes with expectations. 📈 Fundraising isn't a finish line. It's the starting gun. 🏁 So, next time the champagne corks pop, let it be a reminder. A reminder that the real work, the real celebration, starts now. 🚀 Here's a tip: Celebrate progress, not promises. 🎯 Now, go out there and make those dollars count. 💪 --- #design #marketing #startup #brand #connection #people #community #opportunity #product #tech #communication #strategy #personalbrand