Nikola Yanev

First time founder and raising? I've shared this recently too, and like 🎯 Pawel Maj says: This is the only book you'll ever need on fundraising, as a first-time founder. It's a lot of pages, but will save you tremendous amounts of time and more importantly, get you a bigger chance for the results you're looking for. All credits to the Hustle Fund 👀⤵️ #firstdegree  #founders  #investors #alwaysbelearning  #sharingiscaring #changethewaywework

4

🔥🔥🔥 Community VC has 10 founders and 90 supporters registered for our feedback/pitch event today. We're building a new baseline habit for founders, investors, and advisors to engage in. 💡 Investors want to invest in lines not dots 💡 Founders should have the opportunity to show progress and not be judged on the window of a deck 💡 Advisors want to get to know you over time IMO there's no downside to receiving critical feedback and then using that to improve/prove, if you are scared of feedback then you are in the wrong game. In a similar vein, if you are sending cold emails with your deck to investors or advisors you are in for a longgggggg road. #community #angelinvesting #startups

15

Problem: Going from 0-1 with a podcast is difficult Especially if you don't have an existing audience on any platform Solutions: Some value add's that people can launch to solve this 1. Podcasters can launch cohort based courses for this 2. Host webinars, masterclasses session on growth, or any other topics 3. Film YouTube videos on podcast growth 4. Share your process behind different things 5. Events with top podcasters, fireside chats Who's currently building any of the above?

2

Dilution: from pre-seed to series D, every founder worries about it. But there’s a simple yet smart strategy to manage it. The general rule of thumb I recommend is this: try to limit equity sold to no more than 20-25% in any single fundraising round. Then make sure you build significant value between rounds, because that’s the best way to avoid excessive dilution over time. What I recommend certainly isn’t the only viable approach, of course. If you want more control, have confidence in your entrepreneurial skillset to come up with a different formula. Don’t be scared if accounting isn’t your superpower: apply your technical skills to basic management accounting. Create your own financial model. Map out equity structures (don’t forget that ESOP!), project your growth, and estimate your company’s future value. That’s the extent of what you need to do, though following that advice I gave above about making sure you build significant value between rounds is probably a good idea, too. Overthinking dilution math is the real foe you have to slay here. If you present the people you’re pitching to with something that’s convoluted and unrealistic, you’re basically waving a big red flag right in their faces. #entrepreneurship #startups #fundraising

28

2 Comments

Hire slow, fire fast. One of the biggest mistakes I see early-stage founders (myself included) making, is going with “good enough” when it comes to building their team. This always, and I really mean ALWAYS, comes back to haunt you rather quickly. They end up spending too much time having to educate and manage employees,  that are not ideal for the company needs, or even worse, if the cultural fit isn’t there these hires create toxic environments. Take your time when evaluating candidates, and make sure to test cultural fit thoroughly. Waiting another month or two to find the perfect candidate will go a very long way in the greater scheme of things. One of my key leadership principles when it comes to hiring: I strive for diversity in ideas, but not values. How does your hiring process make sure you find 'the one's? #entrepreneurship #teams #venturecapital #assembly #hiring #HR

241

44 Comments

🆘Founders, beware! 🫣I receive too many messages like the one attached😟 "Hey investor, want to invest in my startup? We'll give you a guaranteed 4X return in just 4 months!"💵 ➡️Newsflash: investors aren't just looking for short-term gains. They are in it for the long haul, seeking impact and growth. Instead of touting assured returns, pitch them with a strong subject. Show them your vision, passion, and potential for long-term success. That's what gets their attention. 🚀 "Get ready to perfect your pitch! We're excited to announce an upcoming session on 'Pitching to Investors' where you'll learn the secrets to securing funding. Stay tuned for more updates. Comment “interested” & we will “DM” you the session details. #startups #investors #longtermthinking #fundraising #startupfunding #ideapitching #Pitchdecks #Businessvaluation

2

Who’s building a grant program for creators, podcasters, YouTubers? Problem: Creators, Podcasters, YouTubers need capital infusion To grow, expand, host events, and such Solution: A grant program to support creatives specifically from all around the world Some general grant programs below: - Tyler Cowen’s Emergent Ventures Grant Program - Bagel Fund DM me or reply to this X post If you are building something like this to support creatives of any kind

2

For every consumer or mass market company I have invested in – there has been one consistent product management theme: simplicity.  While many competitors try to build in more capabilities, more functionality, more content, more, more, more – the winners tend to be incredibly skilled at keeping things very simple. It plays itself out again and again, you don’t have to be first to market, nor the most full-featured, not even the most attractive – you just have to be the simplest.  Over the years, I have come to appreciate that building a product, service or application that is defined by its simplicity is extraordinarily hard. It takes real talent and ingenuity to create simplicity and once you have achieved it – it is as real a barrier to entry as a slew of patents or technical secret sauce. Simplicity is that valuable.

123

16 Comments

One of the most important Relationships in business after your business partner is your VC. See below Great advice from recent interview with Sarah Romanko and BEHIND THE LEAF INC

3

2 Comments

If you are or know of any pre-seed or seed startups (from any country) that match these criteria: - Under $20m Val - Have esop available for staff and key supporters - Have a unique valuable proposition for your market - Team has deep experience in the sector - Raising a round within the next 3-6mths And you’d like to get your/their deck reviewed for feedback (direct transcription from the conversations reviewing your deck) from either 30 angels or 300 experts (or both) get me your deck before 7am this Friday. Use this link to send through your deck: https://lnkd.in/gU5YCbQm #angelinvesting #community #startups

13

The successful fundraising is a mix of three acts. (People that raised $100m do that) I worked with a lot of different founders and saw a few fundraising strategies. The most successful founders combine three things during the whole process: 1️⃣ Hire a 10 well-paid and full-time brokers agency → A 5-7% success fee could be a motivator; ↳ with 2% you are not a connector priority → Brokers that have 4 other businesses shouldn't be your hope ↳ They hire full-time teams that can commit 24/7 to raising funds 2️⃣ Experience founders require introductions from: → Their shareholders invested in the previous rounds ↳ The best warm intros come from other investors → Smaller checks that work close to the larger ones ↳ Founders are aware that a $50k ticket can follow to $1m  3️⃣ They have their own way and practising investor relations → Fundraising is their lifestyle and everyone needs a system ↳ 2h daily is better than 3 months of headache. → Wise founder start raising Series A in the seed phase ↳ 12 months of the investor's update makes DD look easier No 1, 2 or 3. All three are coming together. → Your own fundraising system → Bounchs of motivated connections → Shareholders warm intros to the other funds → Start establishing relations 12 months before opening ---------- Anything to add? 🤔

2

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 Tim Draper highlights the importance of founder dynamics. Here’s what VCs should look for: 1. Leadership Clarity: If both founders want to be the CEO, it can lead to conflicts. 2.Personal Relationships: Dating founders might focus more on their relationship than the business. 3. Married Founders: This can work well if one is clearly the leader and willing to take risks. Strong and clear founder relationships are crucial for a startup's success. #VentureCapital #Startup #Investing #TimDraper

11

1 Comment

Here’s the 1 thing that I wish more founders knew: When you receive VC funding, you are entering into a long-term relationship with your investor(s). In addition to providing them with investor updates and maintaining frequent communication, you will be receiving guidance and feedback. Just like VCs do their diligence on founders, you should do your diligence on VCs. If you couldn’t see yourself working with a potential investor, it’s better to not take their capital. #founders #startups #VC #fundraising #founderadvice Vivian Olodun, Dr. Tracy Timberlake, Seneca Williams "Entrepreneur Therapist", BEHIND THE LEAF INC, Flourish Media Co

17

6 Comments

CONFESSION: The Lonely Reality of Being a Founder That No One Talks About... 1-   It is up to you to motivate yourself, no one else can do that 2-   Getting anything (£) out of business is very tough  3-   Failure hurts more than you could imagine 4-   You do get used to the sleepless nights  5-   A problem shared isn't a problem halved, it is a problem doubled 6-   Even when you have money, you still worry about it  7-   Your version of success is very different to others and that's fine 8-   You never really “make” it 9-   Falling out with people rarely fixes the problem 10- Prioritise your home life, everything else will fit around it 11- You have to make money, make that the core of every decision 12- 9 to 5 doesn't exist, it is a lot worse... Or better. Upto you.  13- Dont take advice from anyone, have a select few and follow it religiously  14- Risk is a sliding scale, leaving your job isn't risky 15- It is very lonely even a decade later it's just me and a screen 16- Ghosting is painful, and I still can't fully understand it 17- Raising investment consistently is practically impossible, so learn to bootstrap 18- Be careful who you get into bed with 19- Don’t fixate on just one business. Try many. 20- Own your own truth 21- Get comfortable with exposing your vulnerable self to strangers 22- Everyone wants to pick your brains, be selective who you share time with 23- Dont overstretch yourself, it really is a marathon, not a sprint 24- Stop trying to be a millionaire by X age, It’s literally irrelevant 25- Don't believe your own hype 26- Put your own reputation first, always, without compromise 27- Build your brand, the product is always secondary 28- Get comfortable with time passing you by 29- Have a day off, literally no one cares 30- Enjoy it, seriously, the lows are your future inspiration 31- Don't let it go back to £0 value, get out, something, anything 32- Always pay it forward 33- Look after people, you are a shepherd, not a dictator 34- If you are going to fail, fail well, preserve yourself 35- Avoid taking capital for as long as physically possible 36- You will never get lucky, make your own luck 37- Forgive fast and move forward 38- It is only ever you vs. the world, get used to it 39- Presentation and pitching is the ultimate skill to master 40- Don't aim for an easy life. If it's hard, it's worth it 41- Find a hobby, work can't be a hobby it's not healthy 42- Trust your business partner 43- Unless you are healthy mentally, you can't do anything 44- Scale safely, only hire if you desperately need too 45- It is the best journey ever, enjoy it for what it is. Liberating. 46- Pivoting isn't quitting 47- Don't be afraid of a niche. They are massive. 48- Love the day to day, it's therapeutic, get in the zone 49- Shoot for the stars dreaming big is fun and exciting 50- If you fall off the horse, get back on and go again #founder #funding #business #VC #pitchdeck #investing #venturecapital #entrepreneur #startup

131

44 Comments

Founders, here are my three core components of a good pitch: 1. Show why the problem is deeply and uniquely important to you 2. Show just how huge the problem is (and bigger than anyone realizes) 3. Show the unique advantage you bring to the table in solving the problem I've been on the founding teams of three businesses and have heard countless pitches as an investor. I've found that focusing on these three aspects helps a pitch stand out from the rest. Be crystal-clear about why you'll dedicate your life to solving the problem, why massive amounts of value will be created by solving it, and why you and your team have the upper hand. #entrepreneurship #lessonslearned

152

11 Comments

SAFEs are the fast food of startup funding: quick, cheap, and easy. But they come with hidden risks that Founders and Investors can’t afford to ignore—like a diet of burgers and fries. I’ve recently read a lot of talk and data on SAFEs showing that they are veering further from their initial purpose. Even Adeo Ressi, credited with inventing SAFEs, has repeatedly said they were overused and misused. Here’s why SAFEs may come and bite Founders & Investors where it hurts. *** 1/ SAFEs were created to fasten the funding processes. Using side letters defeats the purpose. 2/ SAFEs were created to defer valuation talk until there was enough traction. Valuation caps defeat the purpose. 3/ SAFEs were created to fund a temporary gap between the slides and the MVP. Small amounts raised via SAFEs would only marginally impact the cap table. Raising $3 million-plus rounds introduces complexity that defeats the purpose. *** It’s a complex issue unsuitable for a short social media post. I updated my original article on SAFEs with recent data from Peter Walker and feedback or posts from Chris Harvey, Dror Futter, and Stepan Khzrtian—thank you! See the link below 👇 Let me know if you agree or disagree. This is quickly becoming an issue, and I’m keen to understand why SAFEs are so widely used when priced rounds seem more adequate, in some cases. Skip the fast food for a gourmet meal. #SAFE #fundraising #venturecapital

59

25 Comments

As a VC and ex-founder, I like to take less time from a founder to make a yes or no decision. I realize the value of a founder's time is immense, and it should mostly be spent creating value for customers. Most of our "no's" come either in the first or second meeting with the founder(s), and most of our "yes's" come in the third or fourth meeting. I don't recall the last time we had more than four meetings with a founder before deciding to invest. We conduct our due diligence in parallel, talking to customers, previous employees, and employers of the founder. Our speed of decision-making at Neon Fund is also driven by the fact that our entire team has previously been entrepreneurs. We avoid analysis paralysis. Meeting with founders without genuine investment intent is a waste of their valuable time. And we at Neon respect Founders' time the most 💯

283

12 Comments