Ready to raise your seed round but unsure how to de-risk for investors? Discover strategies to avoid pitfalls and secure early-stage funding confidently.
In this week's episode, our experts hosts Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad explore:
- What a seed round truly entails
- 5 areas you need to de-risk your seed round
- Common misconceptions and mistakes founders make
- Why traction is not the same as revenue
- How to ensure your valuation reflects your startup’s potential
- Investor pitch tips to share the effective use of your funds
- The importance of selecting investors who share your vision
Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode will share the insights needed to de-risk your seed round and optimize your valuation for future success.
00:00 Intro
00:41 On Today's Show
02:27 What Even Is A Seed Round?
09:30 Raising Rounds and De-Risking
10:57 De-Risking Traction
17:56 Market Validation
21:53 Intellectual Property
26:12 Sales Pipeline
30:28 Revenue: A Dangerous Signal
32:50 The Startup vs. Traditional Business Mindset
34:39 Common Misconceptions About Traction
37:27 Understanding Valuation in Seed Rounds
39:45 Using Funds Thoughtfully
51:37 Building a Competitive Funding Round
TSP Podcasts Episodes on Fundraising to Explore:
Edu: Startup Storytelling - F*ck the Slides w/ Nir Zavaro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVIHT9rQBdQ
Edu: [LIVE] Startup Storytelling Pt 2 - The Perfect Pitch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgQzOf04AI
Edu: Fundraising Basics Part 1 - How To Find The Smart Money: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kopLlmthn6k
Edu: Fundraising Basics Part 2 - Avoid Selling Yourself Short:
https://www.tsp.show/edu-fundraising-basics-part-2-avoid-selling-yourself-short/
Edu: Fundraising Basics Part 3 - Crafting your pitch
https://www.tsp.show/edu-fundraising-basics-part-3-crafting-your-pitch/
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Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Editor: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/
#startup #entrepreneur #seed #investing #vc
