Most founders think fundraising fails because of "bad luck." Usually, it fails because of simple physics.

Fundraising is a sales funnel. If you have a structural leak at the top, no amount of "slick" pitching will produce a check at the bottom. In this episode, we pop the hood on pre-seed fundraising to look at the four filters your startup must pass before you even think about building a deck.

Stop the "Fundraising Theater" and start building a machine that investors actually want to buy.

Read the full blog post: https://ftb.bz/127B

Watch the video: https://ftb.bz/127V

[FREE TOOL] THE INVESTMENT READINESS SCORECARD

Don't guess if you’re ready. Use the same diagnostic tool I use to screen startups for the North Bay Angels. Identify your gaps and fix them before you waste your one "bite at the apple."

Get the Toolkit & Scorecard: https://www.FeelTheBoot.com/raise

WHAT WE COVER:

Filter 1: The Math (Portfolio Physics): Why a "nice" business isn't always a venture-investable business. We look at the $100M revenue requirement and the "Why Now" delta.

Filter 2: The Evidence (Market Pull): The difference between "that’s a good idea" and "I need this now." We discuss unit economics and why $1 of marketing must generate $2 of net profit.

Filter 3: The Moat (Structural Defensibility): Why being a "first mover" is often a disadvantage and how to build friction that stops well-funded predators from crushing you.

Filter 4: The Machine (Founder-Market Fit): Why investors don't fund science experiments and how to prove you have the unique insight to execute your blueprint.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 The "Fundraising Theater" Trap

1:30 Why 99% of Success is Decided Before the Pitch

3:15 Filter 1: The Harsh Math of Venture Capital

5:45 The "Corpse Audit": Why Timing is Your Delta

8:10 Case Study: The "Empty Box" Pitch at North Bay Angels

11:20 Filter 2: Proving Customer Hunger

14:45 Filter 3: Defensibility & The First-Mover Fallacy

17:30 Filter 4: The Machine & Unique Insights

20:15 Is Your Startup Default Alive or Default Dead?

22:00 Your Next Step: The Readiness Scorecard

ABOUT FEEL THE BOOT

I’m Lance Cottrell. I’m a former astrophysicist and successful tech founder turned startup advisor. I view company building as an engineering problem with solvable mechanics. No fluff. No hype. Just the hard truths you need to reach escape velocity.

Subscribe for more pragmatic startup advice: [Link to your channel]

#PreSeedFundraising #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #PitchDeck #Entrepreneurship #FounderTips #FeelTheBoot

If your first interaction with an investor is asking for money, you have already lost.

Cold pitching investors has a success rate of nearly 0%. Warm introductions have a success rate of over 50%.

The gap between those two numbers is where most fundraising rounds die.

Most founders think they are stuck because they don't have a rich uncle or a deep network. The reality is: You just have the wrong process.

In this episode, I break down the Investor Warm-Up Protocol, a 4-step engineering approach to manufacturing warm relationships from cold contacts.

Read the full breakdown on the blog: https://ftb.bz/126B

Watch The Video: https://ftb.bz/126V

🚀 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS

1. The Deep Dive (Workshop Recording):

This episode is adapted from my full 90-minute workshop, "From Cold Outreach to Capital." It covers the entire system, including target list building, email scripts, and automation tools.

👉 Get the Workshop: https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

2. The Full System (Founder Quest Intensive):

Want to rebuild your entire fundraising stack (Model, Narrative, and Outreach) with hands-on coaching? Join the next cohort of the Founder Quest Intensive.

👉 Apply here: https://FounderQuest.com/intensive

In this episode, we cover:

· The Radar Ping: How to become "familiar" before you ever send an email.

· The "Quick Question": The specific type of DM that gets a reply (and what gets ignored).

· The Update Loop: How to automate trust-building over time.

· The Trap: Why pitching on the first call kills the deal.

#startup #fundraising #venturecapital #founder #entrepreneurship

🛑 Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan

Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.

In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.

🔑 Key Lessons You Will Learn:

· The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.

· The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.

· Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.

· The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.

· Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.

🔗 Resources & Links

Find the full transcript and blog post here:

👉 https://ftb.bz/125B

Watch the video:

🎥 https://ftb.bz/125V

Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/

🚀 Struggling to Raise Capital?

If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:

Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:

🔥 https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO