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𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼 Below are the key excerpts from Travis’s blog post Startup Seed Raising Skillzzz: 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 Fundraising is a relationship game. Investors don’t write checks to strangers. Start attending events, meeting angel investors, and expanding your network. Talk to at least one new investor or connector daily. The more doors you open now, the easier fundraising becomes later. 𝟮. 𝗡𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 Your first investor meetings aren’t formal pitches—they’re casual conversations over coffee. Keep your pitch tight (5-10 minutes max) and prepare answers for the top 20 questions. Confidence wins trust, but don’t oversell. Let them pay—it subtly signals that you’re a scrappy founder. 𝟯. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Every meeting must end with clarity. Are they interested? If not, why? What’s stopping them? Always ask for introductions—investors know other investors. 𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 Not every investor will write a check, but some may become advisors. A few credible names in your corner can make future fundraising much easier. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Fundraising is all about momentum. Keep a simple pipeline: who you’ve met, their interest level, and who they introduced you to. Follow up relentlessly. 𝟲. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 Investors bet on founders, not just ideas. Energy and conviction attract funding. But don’t fake confidence—acknowledge weak points and show how you’ll fix them. Credibility builds trust. 𝟳. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆—𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀 Investors follow signals. If your round drags, they assume no one’s interested. Your job? Create FOMO. Secure one strong lead investor early—others will follow. 𝟴. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀—𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 One term sheet is good. Two is power. The first is hard, but once you get it, move fast to secure another. It gives you leverage to negotiate better terms. 𝟵. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗨𝗽 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 Big investors sometimes collude to push founders into weaker deals. Keep discussions separate and stay firm on your terms. 𝟭𝟬. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 Nothing’s final until the money is wired. Deals fall apart all the time. Keep momentum alive, stay in touch with new investors, and push hard until it’s done. --- The Bottom Line Raising money isn’t about luck—it’s about execution. Build relationships early, create urgency, and control the process. The best founders don’t wait for investors to decide. They make investors chase them. If you found this helpful then follow Vishu Bheda for more such valuable content!