What this teaches
Paul Graham's definitive essay on early-stage fundraising, distilled from watching hundreds of YC companies raise. Covers why fundraising feels harder than it is, breadth-first search weighted by expected value, getting to yes/no fast, and the dangers of raising too much or letting fundraising drag on.
Why it matters
Still the single most-cited piece of fundraising advice in startup circles; most other seed fundraising guides are footnotes to this one.
Key lessons
- Fundraising is a phase, not a lifestyle: get it done and get back to work
- Talk to investors in parallel, not serially, prioritized by expected value
- Never leave a meeting without forcing a next step toward yes or no
- Raising too much money can be as dangerous as raising too little
Notable quotes
“The way to raise money is not to need it.”Paul Graham, paulgraham.comRead the original How to Raise Money Paul Graham · paulgraham.com
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