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The Insiders's Guide To Raising Angel Funding
2 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
In this course, you'll learn what is takes to attract your first few angel checks to get your startup off the ground and funded.
The Insiders's Guide To Raising Angel Funding
2 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
In this course, you'll learn what is takes to attract your first few angel checks to get your startup off the ground and funded.
Course overview
My Short Story....
I am born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Just like a lot of you, I stumbled into startups via the internet. For me, it was Startup School 2014 put on by Y Combinator on Youtube. I was amazed by what was happening in the Bay Area with all the startup activity. After i watched that series, I read every startup book I could and eventually, I started a company called PubLoft.
After some iteration, PubLoft grew rapidly, from $0 to $24,000 MRR in 7 months. But for some reason, we had a hard time attracting capital. Every month we grew, I thought it would be easier to get a check. But for some reason, I couldn't get a meeting with any investor. All of them said I was too early or to come back next month.
What I didn't understand is that revenue growth is not the most important think when evaluating a startup, I didn't understand the full picture investors looked for, and I didn't understand is there is a game behind the game. Although I did end up getting a $100,000 check from Jason Calacanis' LAUNCH fund while we were at $24k in MRR, there were tons of mistakes I wish I could have avoided along the way.
This course is built to help you avoid those mistakes and get capital earlier in your companies life so you can grow faster, sooner.
Who is this course for
01
Founders based outside of Silicon Valley with startups that are working/growing quickly,
02
Early stage founders who want to be prepared for fundraising for when the time comes,
03
Founders who are currently raising who want to increase the odds of their success,
What you’ll get out of this course
Understand the concept of access and earning other people's time
Access is the most important force in the world. Who gives their time to you and who do you give your own time to? Master this concept in relation to raising capital.
Learn when to cold email vs. when to shoot for a warm intros
Cold emailing can be effective, but not always. Trying to get a warm intro can be effective, but not always. Learn the nuances between the two and you'll be unstoppable.
Learn how to make the most out of a meeting with an investor
Once you get a meeting with an investor, you're on the clock. Learn how to make a good impression, even before you get on a call with them.
Learn how to take a relationship-first approach to raising
Fundraising is a relationship driven game. Come off as too transactional, and you'll strike out. Learn how to ask for what you need without losing the relationship in the process.
The Insiders's Guide To Raising Angel Funding
Meet your instructor
Mat Sherman
Founder of Seedscout
Mat Sherman is the founder of Seedscout, a professional network for the startup industry. As part of his work there, he's interviewed 850 founders on his podcast Forward Thinking Founders and has written over 100 analytical essays on the startup sector. Through Seedscout, he has facilitated dozens of checks being written from top firms into startups with untraditional backgrounds totaling over $3.5M.
Mat has an overall interest in building infrastructure to help anyone in a talent identification role to do their job more effectively without outsourcing their judgement to degrees, network, or class. A world where these tools are built is a more meritocratic and just world.
When not working, Mat is spending time with his wife, Madeline, watching the Phoenix Suns play, or going on a hike in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.
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The Insiders's Guide To Raising Angel Funding
Course Syllabus
01
A Primer on Social Capital
Social capital is the invisible force that rules Silicon Valley. Understand what social capital is, learn why it matters to you, and figure out how to use it to get what you want.
02
Having A Prepared Mind
The successful founders have thought everything through before it was necessary. Learn what questions need to be answered now vs. the ones that can wait until later.
03
Thoughtful Investor Outreach
Learn how to do investor outreach the right way, which includes a combo of different tactics like cold emails, warm intros, and everyone in between.
Course schedule
4-6 hours per week
Mondays & Wednesdays
Monday and Wednesday is self guided work through different topics outlined for that day. This is go at your own pace.
Tuesdays & Thursdays
1:00pm - 2:00pm PST
Tuesday and Thursday are live lecture days where we're on zoom together learning about a new topic. These aren't project days, they are mainly for you to learn, ask questions, and meet others in your cohort.
Weekly projects
2 hours per week
Intertwined with the course will be projects that are directly related to your startup's success. We will never do a project that is irrelevant to the day to day of your startup operations or fundraise activity.
Learning is better with cohorts
Active hands-on learning
This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams
Learn with a cohort of peers
Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you