Richard Stroupe’s Post

Hey #Entrepreneurs - BUILD YOUR MOAT before Your dreams of buying the bigger BOAT Follow this #investor below for GREAT content for your #startup

Here's the investor's checklist on what it means to be “fundable”. Knowing where you stand on these 6 aspects should be the beginning of your fundraising preparation. *Especially valid for early-stage. ✅ You have a killer team ↳ Ambitious. Well oiled. Covering the main roles ❓ Investors want to know that you are best for the job of making this company a success. ✅ You are solving a real problem ↳ Serious pain for many people/businesses ❓ Investors want to know that customers are ready to pay to have this problem solved. ✅ Or capturing a hot opportunity ↳ It might be building on a trend/technology/need ❓ If you are not solving a problem, investors want to see a really hot opportunity which you can capture. ✅ You are in a big, ripe market ↳ Big pool of customers. Paying to solve this problem ❓ Investors want to see a big market in which the company can grow into and get to good revenue. ✅ You have a clean cap-table ↳ Healthy equity distribution with no surprises ❓ Investors want every shareholder to have the right incentives for the long term interest of the startup. ✅ You have good traction ↳ Gaining new users/customers at a steady rate ❓ Investors want to see that you can execute, deliver results for your customers and get more of them. All of the points above matter to investors. Because they want to maximize their returns. More importantly, these points should matter to you. Because they are a foundation of a good business. Think of these when you start f̶u̶n̶d̶r̶a̶i̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ a startup. 😉 P.S. Is there anything you'd add as a healthy foundation of a company? Share with me in a comment below. ⬇️

This is why one of the first things you need to do is surround yourself with trusted people and build a network of individuals who genuinely care about your success. Avoid making decisions outside your area of expertise, and always consult a third party. This principle applies to situations like giving away equity or purchasing products and services. As a Founder, it's important to acknowledge that you don't know what you don't know - don't let ego drive you to failure. You can write a prompt in ChatGPT or simply Google: 'How much equity should advisors or investors get at a certain stage and what are other ways to compensate them?'. In general, you will be surprised how many people will he willing to help you. There are also communities and many other initiatives. But none of that will happen sitting on the sofa, if you know what I mean. In the early stages, success isn't about knowing or mastering everything. Instead, it's about demonstrating your thought process and inviting Pros to join your journey, helping turn your vision into reality. Ready to scale your startup? Let’s chat about building a solid foundation for your business success. Book a FREE Bedrokk call here bit.ly/3BkXBLS #startups #founders #investors #gotomarketstrategy #venturecapital ___________________________________ Did you like this post? Connect or Follow Evaldas Girskus Want to see all my posts? Ring that 🔔 and Follow #thestartupguy

My coach once told me, “when you set boundaries with people, you aren’t only honoring yourself but you are teaching other people how to set their OWN boundaries.” This advice is especially important for all the recovering people pleasers out there who always want to be helpful. Remember, by setting boundaries, you are not only taking care of yourself, but you are also empowering others to do the same. Keep this in mind as you navigate your personal and professional relationships. ——— If you like content like this… I'm launching a newsletter with even more. In it I get my expert friends to answers complicated questions around tech, startups, investing, real estate and more, in the simplest way possible. You can pre-sign up here: ordinarygenius.beehiiv.com

What do investors actually want to hear in your early fundraising calls? It's not always what you think… Big numbers? Huge growth lists? Big brand names? From hundreds of conversations with investors and CSuite leaders, over my career, I’ve found that these are the qualities they actually look for. Send to someone you know who’s looking to fundraise ==== Getting on a call with an investor can be a nervy moment as a Founder - especially when you’re in need of the cash or it’s your first rodeo.  But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a saying - “Ask for money and you’ll get advice. Ask for advice and you’ll get money.”  There's something in this. Give yourself some space and take your time.  Prepare over months to get into fundraising calls. 🚨 And don’t go to investors until you’re growing. Founders can get caught with the idea that ‘venture money’ means big growth and the next $bn business.  Investors must want growth and for you to pitch the next big idea.  And they do - but the way you get to that is somewhat counterintuitive. You have to go small to go big. Valuable growth comes from the seeds of something unique and uncomfortably small - it doesn’t come from something big; all of a sudden. That’s just in the movies #ZuckLogic 😬 With the wrong approach, you can ruin an investor call within minutes. From experience, here are 10 ways to prepare better… ----------- 👉 Comment if you agree, or share your experiences to help other founders 👉 Follow me for weekly reflections on building a startup  👉 DM me if you’re looking to fundraise and want some support

🚀 Nailed the Pitch? Now Comes the Hard Part – Investor Questions! After your pitch, the real test begins: handling investor questions. Their follow-up inquiries can make or break your deal, as they’re looking to assess your startup’s long-term potential. Here are key questions investors typically ask- Startup related questions: 1️⃣What’s the history of the company? 2️⃣When did you start operating? 3️⃣How did you meet/find your team members? 4️⃣What’s your target market size? What’s your projected market penetration in year five? 5️⃣Why will you succeed? What are your unfair/sustainable competitive advantages? Capital Raising Questions: 1️⃣What’s the company's capital-raising history? How much and on what terms? 2️⃣When did you start raising this round? What investors have hard committed vs. soft committed? Have you invested any of your own money? 3️⃣Are your advisors or board members? 4️⃣What’s your monthly burn rate (expenses not covered by operating cash flow from revenues)? 5️⃣What’s your runway (how many months do you have before you run out of cash?) given money in the bank and after this next round? The key to turning a pitch into a funded startup is thorough preparation and thoughtful answers. Make every question count Ready for your next investor Q&A? Feel free to connect with me for personalised insights. Earlyseed Ventures

Are you a floundering founder? have you put 6 months into a project without cashflow? It is important to know the value of your time; wasting your time is not the point of a start up. If it takes more than 3 months to get your first revenue; perhaps there isn't a product market fit. The best ventures are the ones that are formed to make revenue on day 1. I normally will start ventures; and only if there is success will put more effort out there. All founders should focus on developing deal flow and helping others; so you can gain experience in fundraising and connections. As soon as your realize its not about you but others; everything changes. First time founders should first be an advisor for 5+ companies; if you cant add value there then there is no way you can do it on your own. My heart goes out to all of you hardworking founders putting in effort with no yield. I'd love to help lets chat!

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐍𝐎" 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬? Are you sick of pouring your heart and soul into your startup, only to be rejected by funding agencies? You're not alone. 99% of startups fail to secure funding, and it's not because their ideas aren't good enough. The harsh reality is that most startups don't have a clear, compelling story to tell. They don't have a pitch deck that truly resonates with investors. They don't have a solution that stands out from the crowd. But it doesn't have to be this way. With the right PITCH DECK, the right STORY, and the right SOLUTION, you can increase your chances of securing funding. You can make investors sit up and take notice. So, what's the secret to a killer pitch deck? It's not just about putting together some numbers and graphs. It's about understanding your audience, highlighting your unique solution, and showing why now is the perfect time to tackle that pesky problem. It's about serving up a dish that's sure to impress. And we're not just talking about any dish - we're talking about a dish that's been carefully crafted with: ✅The right ingredients (problem, solution, market timing), ✅The right instructions (clear design, concise language), ✅And the right presentation (engaging visuals, a dash of humor). So, don't let your startup become another statistic. Don't let your idea die because you couldn't secure funding. ➡Create a pitch deck that truly resonates with investors. ➡Create a solution that changes the game. ➡Create a story that inspires. Your investors (and your business) will thank you.

Last week, a startup founder reachout to me for a pitch deck review! While I agreed to review the deck, he insisted that I sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) before he could share his deck, which I clearly declined. Infact, no investor will sign an NDA with you to review your pitch deck. But WHY NOT? Watch the clip below where I have explained - ✅ Why investors don't sign an NDA to review a pitch deck? ✅ How to make an effective first-level pitch deck? ✅Focus areas to get the investment conversation started? Infact, in the full video, there is a BONUS tip for founders seeking advice for their startup (check the link in the comments) 👍 LIKE if you found this valuable & ♻️ REPOST in your network

Founders: Thoughtfully manage your time.⏰ Your time is a valuable and finite resource. Investors closely evaluate how you allocate your time. Here are some key factors to consider: ⭐Are you staying focused on your startup's core mission and goals? ⭐Are you dedicating time to social media activities unrelated to your mission? ⭐ Are you investing time in events that may be consuming valuable hours better spent on sales and engaging with customers? Great founders I have seen are very focused on how they use their time. Wishing your startup tons of success! 🚀🚀 If you found this useful, follow me on Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram for more exponential growth and investing insights. For funding, investment opportunities and more, please follow Angeles Investors! #TimeManagement #FounderPriorities #StayFocused #MissionDriven #InvestorInsights #StartupEfficiency #StrategicAllocation #SalesFocus #CustomerEngagement