Fundraising Is a Sales Process

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Fundraising is a sales process.

Consider these steps in setting up your fundraiser:

First, build the investor documents, including pitch deck, terms sheet, and data room.

In fundraising, you are selling equity in your company.

This is the same as a brochure or data sheet for your product.

Second, build a list of prospective investors to pursue.

Just as you have an ideal customer profile for selling your product, so you also have an ideal investor profile.

Search for investors that fit your ideal profile.

Third, research your investor prospects to learn more about them.

Fourth, make initial contact with the investor.

Update them on your fundraiser.

Fifth, and most importantly, follow up to check interest

Answer their questions and update them on your progress.

Sixth, identify your best investor prospects and move to close.

It takes seven touches to close a sale so it takes seven touches to close an investor.

Seventh, review the characteristics of the investors who came in to learn more about how you found them, where they hang out, and what they wanted.

This will inform your process on how to find more investors.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

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In this episode, Hall Martin and Kat DelGaudio host a Ten Capital investor education session highlighting how Ten Capital connects growth startups with accredited investors through relationship-driven events and coaching, and they point attendees to tenthcapital.group/events and a QR code for startups seeking to raise.

Hall introduces Ava, Ten Capital's AI venture assistant on startupfundingespresso.com, built from over 500 blogs, podcasts, and calculators to answer startup funding and investing questions. The investor panel features Vadim Balashev of Viaduct Ventures, a Series A B2B AI-focused VC writing roughly $500K checks, and Nola Masterson of Portfolia, a venture fund with 2,000+ investors (about 90% women) across 14 funds and $70M deployed in areas including women's health, active aging, and sustainability.

Founder Nathan Monte pitches Enamel Pure's $35K laser-and-camera hygiene device that cleans plaque, hardens enamel as a fluoride replacement, whitens via a mouth guard, and creates 2D/3D dental scans for AI-driven diagnostics and aligner measurement files; he cites FDA clearance, distributor-led go-to-market, per-procedure recurring revenue, and an upcoming $8M Series A at a $32M pre after finishing a $1.5M round.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Product Launch Strategy

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso—your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Founders often mistake their pitch deck for their product launch strategy.

But the two serve different goals.

The pitch is meant to raise capital — the launch is meant to earn trust.

A strong product launch strategy doesn't just announce features. It builds a narrative: who it's for, what it solves, and why it matters now.

The best launches create momentum by aligning messaging, channel, and timing.

Savvy founders build launch strategies in layers:
— First, define the minimum viable message.
— Next, build social proof and use cases.
— Then, plan waves of release — from insider demos to public unveilings.

Launch isn't a moment. It's a sequence.

The most common mistake? Using the investor pitch template for customer activation.

Investors want vision and scale. Customers want relevance and clarity.

Don't confuse one for the other.

Plan your product launch with intent. Make every stage of rollout a proof point — not just of what you built, but of how well you understand the market.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Finding an Investor Is Like Finding a Date

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Founders looking for investors face the same challenge as those looking for a date.

Just as in the dating world, both the investor and the startup exaggerate their strengths.

Some don't know exactly what they want from the other.

Just as there are marriage contracts, the startup world has term sheets.

A substantial number of startups don't succeed, just as many marriages do not.

Drawing from the world of dating, one becomes more successful the more they know what they want.

Founders should figure out what they want from the investor.

This includes not only funding, but also follow-on funding, mentorship, and networking.

Next, look for where to find investors that meet the criteria.

Specialize in how to talk to these particular investors.

Finally, figure out what they are looking for and how to present your startup.

Just as it takes time to find the right date, so it will take time to find the right investor.

Consider the dating game as a model to find your investor.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

What Investors Want To Know About Your Startup

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Founders raising funding should consider what investors want to know about their startup.

Here are some key points to make before the meeting:

Show how your startup fits the investment thesis of the investor.

This should include how it fits with the sector, stage, and trajectory of the startup.

Investors want to work with A players who are passionate about this project.

Highlight the strength of the team and how they can execute.

The investor wants to know if your product has interest from customers.

Show how you have identified customers and you know how to sign them up.

They want to see that customers will pay for it and that the product works.

The investor wants to know the team understands the challenge in front of them and how they are going to succeed.

The investors want to see who the competition is and how the team is going to compete against them.

The investor wants to know the team is setting up the business to scale.

The investor wants to know you have an exit in mind and that it will be a good return for the investors.

Consider these points in setting up a meeting with an investor.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Common Mistakes With Investor Introductions

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Founders raising funding need introductions to investors.

Here are some common mistakes introducers make with investor introductions.

Lack of information

Most founders ask for an introduction but fail to provide enough information for the introducer to make a meaningful introduction.

It's best to include some context in the request.

Lack of a ready-to-mail email.

Many founders would do well to provide the introducer a ready-to-mail email.

This contains the relevant information, including why there's an introduction.

Make sure to write the email in the voice of the introducer and include an appropriate subject line.

Slow follow-up to an introduction.

After the investor responds to the email introduction, it's important to follow up in a timely manner.

Waiting a day or two can degrade the introduction as the recipient may have forgotten that an introduction was made.

Not returning the favor.

Asking someone to make an introduction and then not returning the favor could degrade the relationship with the introducer.

It's important to pay it back.

Consider these points in making an investor introduction.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Hiring the Team for Your Startup

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

After fundraising comes building the team.

The core team may already be in place, but growth will demand new hires.

Here are some key points in hiring the team for your startup:

Have your high-performing team members interview new candidates.

The high performers tend to hold others to their standard.

They are more likely to be frank about a candidate's abilities.

Where did they work before?

Does it have a reputation for quality and professionalism?

Check their thinking ability.

Give them a problem and ask them to articulate out loud their thought process in solving it.

Give them a task and check their speed of execution.

Does it match the pace of the company?

Review their past experiences to see how that has shaped them.

Check their interest in the company and dig into why they want to work there.

Is it only a paycheck, or is there a deeper reason?

Consider these steps in hiring the team for your startup.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Zach Holman of Signed, a former GitHub engineer and advisor, who shares how he moved into advising and angel investing and what he looks for in early-stage companies, emphasizing the importance of team, culture, ambition, and market.

Zach discusses how AI is changing startup building by making it easier for small or even solo teams to ship product and reach revenue quickly, shifting the key scarcity from answers to asking the right questions and having the discipline and "taste" to choose the right product direction.

He explains how his technical background helps him assess real product progress and technical challenges, and he outlines common fundraising mistakes, including getting onto the VC treadmill without a venture-scale plan when bootstrapping may be better. Zach also introduces signed.com as a portfolio tool built to replace messy spreadsheets and help angels treat equity as a real investment.

Visit Signed at signed.com/

Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/zachholman/, and on zachholman.com/

________________________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.