Early Stage Traction

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In the very early stage of the life of a company, traction can be more than just revenue growth

Here are some key traction points to look for.

The founder has an idea.

The founder has an idea and a pitch deck.

The founder has an idea, a pitch deck, and an MVP or minimum viable product

The founder has an idea, a pitch deck, an MVP, and a customer.

The founder has an idea, a pitch deck, an MVP, and a customer with revenue.

The founder has an idea, a pitch deck, an MVP, and a customer with revenue that is growing.

The founder has an idea, a pitch deck, an MVP, a customer with revenue that is growing, and a repeatable process for signing up customers.

By breaking the early stage into phases, one can better understand if the startup is making progress.

Startup investors look for signs of traction and momentum in the deal before investing.

Consider this more nuanced version of traction in assessing very early-stage startups.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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Why Now?

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In raising funding, it’s important to instill a sense of urgency in the fundraiser.

One of the key elements is describing why now is the right time for this fundraiser.

Follow these steps to show how everything is aligned for success:

The team is experienced and in place.

The product is ready and has been validated.

The market is ripe for disruption.

The window of opportunity has been opened by a recent event.

An inflection point now gives the startup an advantage over the competition.

Show how all the elements have lined up to make this a successful endeavor.

It’s important to show the why now, as investors may assume that the startup can raise funding at any time.

Make it clear, now is the time to pursue this opportunity.

The chance of success is at its greatest.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Build Your Presence With a VC Fund

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In raising funding from a VC fund, it’s important to understand the partner team.

Each VC fund has a number of senior partners, junior partners, and others such as analysts and scouts.

One of the partners will bring the founder to a weekly group meeting of the team to hear pitches from the founders.

The partner bringing in the founder is the advocate.

The founder pitches to the team.

The team discusses and decides to pursue or pass.

This process can play out over several weeks.

The advocate’s job is to convince the team that they should pursue the startup.

The founder’s job is to arm the advocate with updates and information to help close the team members.

Each team member has their own list of founders they want the fund to support.

The advocate must bring compelling information and overcome objections from others.

In raising from a VC fund, provide your advocate with enough ammunition to build your presence within the VC fund.

It’s helpful to know more about the team and their careabouts.

It’s a must to always go through your advocate.

Consider these points when raising funds from a VC fund.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.