Fundraising for First-Time Founders: A First-Principles Guide ($70M Raised from 1,500 Investors)
A first-principles walkthrough of how early fundraising actually works, synthesized from Biyani's experience raising roughly $70M from about 1,500 investors across three companies. Covers how to think about investor incentives, sequencing, and running a process.
Fundraising StrategyRaise ReadinessPre-SeedWhat Investors Will Ask You, and Why: Decoding the Fundraising Process
A former founder turned pre-seed VC (20,000+ pitches reviewed) explains the questions investors actually ask, and the underlying reason behind each one, so founders are never blindsided in meetings.
Investor MeetingsRaise ReadinessPre-SeedTerm Sheets! Are! Confusing! Common Terms Decoded for New Founders
A plain-English glossary thread decoding term sheet vocabulary (liquidation preferences, pro rata, anti-dilution and more) for first-time founders and new VCs, written before Doherty founded Behind Genius Ventures.
Term SheetsValuation & DilutionPre-SeedHow to Raise a Seed Round: One Complete Process
A step-by-step seed fundraising process from a pre-seed VC: build a tiered investor list, gather external feedback on materials, and run the raise as a structured pipeline rather than ad-hoc meetings.
Fundraising StrategyTarget ListPre-SeedWho Writes $1K Angel Checks, and Why Founders Take Them
Yin unpacks the rise of tiny angel checks: who writes $1K checks, why they aren't a waste of cap table space, and how operators-turned-micro-angels change early round construction.
Alternative CapitalClosing the RoundPre-SeedTAM Is Overrated, Go-To-Market Pull Is Underrated
Yin argues investors over-index on TAM slides while founders under-argue market pull and go-to-market, and explains what she actually wants to see instead of a top-down market-size number.
StorytellingPitch DeckPre-SeedOpen a SAFE on a Higher Cap: Post-Round Momentum Tactics
Iskold advises founders who recently closed sub-$2M rounds with momentum to open a SAFE at a higher cap and keep taking money, explaining the runway-as-leverage logic in a down market.
Term SheetsValuation & DilutionPre-SeedHow VCs Should Behave in Pitches: Put Founders at Ease
A seed VC lists concrete behaviors investors should adopt in pitch meetings, pitch yourself first, show vulnerability, don't check your phone, acknowledging how stressful pitching is for founders.
Investor MeetingsFundraising PsychologyPre-Seed25 Traits of the Ideal Early-Stage VC
A crowdsourced-and-curated list of 25 best-practice traits for early-stage VCs, cc'ing prominent investors who debated it in replies; a useful rubric for founders scoring prospective investors.
Investor ResearchInvestor MeetingsPre-Seed