Rayan 🎈’s Post

Remember the “buddy system” from childhood? Every fundraising founder should follow it… 🤝 I share lots of tactical fundraising tips. But the hardest part? The emotions. → Long hours → Countless meetings → Very unfriendly investors But the worst bit of all? The no’s come first. Lots of them. So how do you feel? Like you’ll never raise. Like you’re completely alone. That’s why you need a buddy. 🙌 It could be anyone who: 1️⃣ Has raised capital before 2️⃣ That you absolutely trust 100% 3️⃣ No other incentives (not a current investor) They’re half-coach, half-superfan. Just schedule a recurring 30 min meeting every week while you’re fundraising. I promise it’ll make you both happier and more effective. __ Was this helpful? 👍 like and ♻️ repost it to help other founders!

These past two weeks I've been bogged down reading some longer books that were high on my dad's recommendation list. Those will come through in later weeks as I wrap them up, but #ReadingLikeLee must continue! Despite these longer books, I am one of those people who reads multiple books at a time, depending on my mood. I was able to focus in and read the entirety of Raise Millions by Hustle Fund VC during my travel to NYC. Simply, if you are in the founder space and haven't read this book, go download it and get to it. I'll leave the link at the bottom. I loved the opportunity to read an alternative viewpoint to fundraising and managing capital. Coming from the founder / operator side, it's easy to be blinded by your own views and miss the original intentions of your investors. Also -- if you're currently raising, don't stop with Raise Millions. In the book they link out to their guide for curating the best pitch deck and it might be even more valuable than Raise Millions. #startupecosystem #foundersjourney #fractionalcfo #readingforpleasure #2024goals

How I've helped founders raise over $220m. All by doing the necessary work: I've been in this industry for 10+ years now. I've sat on every side of the table. And the biggest thing I've seen founders mess up on with fundraising is simple. You aren't doing the necessary work to successfully fundraise. This isn't about your pitch deck. This isn't about your data room. There is SO much more to fundraising than that. So you have to make sure you are doing the work that ACTUALLY moves the needle. I've created a checklist resource just for you to make sure you know what you need to do. -- To get it: - Like this post - Comment with "checklist" - Connect with me And I can dm you the resource!

Why Raising Money Isn’t Always the Best Move for Early-Stage Founders It’s easy to get caught up in the allure of Silicon Valley success stories or headlines about YC companies closing $3M rounds in just two weeks. But for most founders, raising money may not be the best move—especially right now. Here’s why: In today’s market, raising capital is harder than ever. Rounds are taking twice as long to close (6-8 months), and valuations have dropped by 20-30% in the last year. I’d argue that there are smarter ways to extend your runway without depending on outside funding. Consider this: • Reduce your burn rate. • Increase your sales. • Launch new products or services. Instead of spending 6-8 months pitching to 200 investors, imagine how many potential customers you could connect with in that same period. How many sales could you close? What invaluable feedback could you receive? How much could you grow your MRR by focusing on building your business instead? Remember, traction, revenue, and growth are key factors in attracting investment. Why not spend this time strengthening your company’s fundamentals, positioning yourself for a much better shot at funding down the road? Keep building. Your future investors will thank you. #keepbuilding #founders #funders Want more tips like this, check out this free resource 👇 https://lnkd.in/ezTSYP5e

No matter how brutal your fundraise has been Or how stupid the VCs you've spoken to were. It's a terrible idea to sound jaded on VC calls Why??? 1. It makes it seem like you've had a hard time fundraising. ➡️ Nobody wants to buy the thing everyone else rejected 2. Nobody likes it if you badmouth their profession. 3. You come across as unprofessional Fundraising is a show. It doesn't matter whether your complaints are justified or not. You need to come across as professional and optimistic. If you must vent... vent in a safe space. i.e.: - Other founders - Existing investors - After the round NEVER vent to the people you need money from. I write detailed guides on fundraising. Check them out - link in the comments

Founders don't get enough support and resources. I've partnered with Jamie Harford, Europe's leading fundraising advisor, to change this. (+free gift below) We've only gone and built the No. 1 founder community on LinkedIn & beyond. And with all of the following benefits: → Investor lists for multiple industries → Pitch deck reviews and critiques → LinkedIn brand-building insights → Sales and marketing tutorials → Founder networking sessions → Fundraising advisory → Founder lifestyle tips → Intros to investors ...you will NOT want to miss it. The launch price? The community will be the cheapest EVER @ $250/mo for full access and $2,400 per YEAR. Meaning - you'll spend less for a month of these benefits than you did at your last night out. And as for the gift I mentioned? We're sharing an all-in-one investor megalist AND pitch deck template for members who join on launch day. Want to get notified early? Comment "Interested" below and I'll let you know as soon as we launch! P.S. Everyone who reposts this video will get a surprise in their DMs on launch day, too! #fundraising #investors #vc

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 🔍 Are you ready to take your business to new heights? Look no further! 🔍 ✨ Introducing Scrub the Deck - Your Ultimate Partner in Fundraising Success! ✨ With a network of over 650 investors and a proven track record of numerous successful raises, we've got the expertise and connections to propel your venture forward! 📈💼 Don't let funding hurdles hold you back. Let Scrub the Deck navigate the waters of fundraising for you, so you can focus on what you do best - building your dream business! 💪💰 Reach out today and let's set sail towards your fundraising goals together! ⛵️ #RasingCapital #FundraisingSuccess #InvestmentOpportunity #AngelInvestors #SeedFunding

I see it every single day: Fundraising founders drowning. Stuck with a failed fundraise lasting months. All the while never actually building your business. But it doesn’t have to be this way, you know. If you have the right systems? You can do both. All it takes is building out your own fundraising operating system. That way you can fundraise more effectively. And spend more time actually building the business of your dreams. You can see more about how to do that in the comments below. ♻️ Repost to help other founders with this. — P.S. Building these systems is not a quick-fix. It takes time. But these can be used for every single fundraise you do after, so its always worth it.

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

Looking for #funding ? "Raise Millions" by Hustle Fund is a fantastic free resource! Clear, simple, and full of practical tips and it helped me clear up many doubts. 📚 Key points of the book: 1️⃣ Comprehensive guide for first-time founders 2️⃣ Step-by-step approach to fundraising 3️⃣ Practical tips and real-world examples Highly recommended for anyone in the early stages of their #startup journey. Get the Book for free here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dpjtvFBz 💡 Have you heard of this book before? Do you know any other great resources for fundraising? Share your thoughts and recommendations!