Most founders treat board meetings like status updates. That’s a mistake. It’s your chance to lead with a clear narrative—build conviction before you ask for help. Investor support must be constantly earned.
Wondering why the M&A and IPO markets are so tight? No surprise that VCs are pointing to high interest rates and tariff uncertainty as key blocks to an exit. In a tight exit market, focus on what you can control.
VC fundraising hit a decade low pace in Q1 2025 ($10.0B via 87 funds). For founders, this signals one of the toughest fundraising climates in years. Your metrics should be undeniable. Prepare for a marathon, not a sprint.
71.1% of all VC deal value last quarter went to AI. If you're building here, focus on PMF, not hype. If you're not in AI, fundraising keeps getting harder—your story needs to be sharper than ever.
Thinking about launching your fundraise now? November & December are the worst months to start, with just 6.4% of deals closing in January. Here's what you should do.
As an investment vehicle for LPs, venture capital is broken. As a founder, you need to understand this dynamic. Choose your investors wisely.
It's taking longer to raise a round of venture funding. This is a healthy change. Let me explain why.
Zombie VCs are surging: 25% fewer active investors in 2024 vs 2023, and 50% down from 2021's peak. These funds can't make new investments, but their short-term focus can still cause major problems for founders in their portfolio.
This chart tells an important story for early-stage founders. Only 10% of startups that raised a Series A in 2022 have raised a Series B two years later. That drop of nearly 2/3 from 2018 represents a brutal cliff for founders.
This chart is a perfect illustration of the pain still to come in venture. The explosion of ‘unicorns’ in 2021
Most businesses aren't a good fit for venture capital. Picking the right sources of funding is one of
In the coming wave of AI-related disruption, we can enable entrepreneurship and unleash the job-creating forces behind it. We need to learn from the past to set the right policies for the future.
