Why I Wrote This

There are a number of reasons why I decided to write and publish the Fundraising Lore.

First, the very process of writing things down is beneficial on its own. That’s because spelling things out requires a level of thoughtfulness that is not common in verbal exchanges.

Second, having a written and easily accessible guide to fundraising will be helpful in my work as a startup advisor. My hope is that founders I work with will be able to use the Fundraising Lore as a reference about the fundraising process. This will free up more time to talk about harder issues such as fine-tuning the pitch, networking, interpreting investor behavior, and managing founder psychology. Hopefully that translates into more startups being better prepared and more successful at company-building and fundraising.

Third, publishing the Fundraising Lore is a unique opportunity to get feedback from the broader founder community. I look forward to making improvements to the methodology and adding best practices that I might have missed or was unaware of. Please reach out if you have comments, questions, or suggestions - my contact info is in Feedback.

Last but not least, I have been the recipient of numerous acts of kinds along my entrepreneurial journey. The Fundraising Lore is one way of paying it forward. Above all, I hope that it helps entrepreneurs navigate the confusing and difficult world of early-stage VC fundraising. If the Fundraising Lore made a difference, please drop me a line. I’d really appreciate hearing from you.