May 22 2008
Don’t write a business plan…and other fundraising advice.
On the 22nd I will be talking about business plans and fundraising for the 3rd time with the Tech Coast Venture Network in Orange County. I thought it would probably be appropriate to update the presentation a bit… 
Attached is a revised version of the presentation I’ll be giving.
I hope you find it helpful!
Business Plans and Fundraising
Matt,
Great preso tonight (I’m the guy who suggested that funding has similar attributes to selling). Looking around the room tonight I saw faces of entrepreneurs light up with many aaaah moments as they listen to your new revelation. I wish someone shared this info with me when I was raising funds. I had to learn the hard way.
To summarize, I think the gist of your message is:
- Target VCs who are interested in your technology
- Distinguish yourself from the crowd
- GET THAT FIRST APPOINTMENT
- And the second one
- Make the preso concise and short
- Create a sense of urgency –whenever possible
- Pray to close the deal
Everyone agrees that raising funds is the most difficult task when building a company. Perhaps because it goes against our nature so it takes discipline, guidance and practice before one can understand the process. Now, successfully raising funds…. well, that’s a different beast.
Anyway, thanks again. Really enjoyed both the preso and delivery.
Arif
I attended this last night and was very impressed. A great presentation and your company is very interesting as well. Thanks for helping out the little guys!
[...] desk on a given day that he/she has to filter them quickly. It just takes too long to go over a full-business plan and even an executive summary, so make sure you put all of the most important information on a one [...]