Outline for The Open Guide to Startup Fundraising (2/7/17)
Introduction
About This Guide
- Should You Read This?
- What Is Covered?
- Legend
- How To Use This Guide
- Why An Open Guide? Why On Github?
- Please Contribute!
Should You Fundraise?
History and Trends in Fundraising
- Trends
- General Statistics
- Timeline
- Investor Trends
- Economic Factors
Players and Basic Terminology
- Basic Terminology
- Entrepreneurs
- Angel Investors
- Venture Capitalists
- Accelerators
- Crowdfunding Platforms
- Syndicates
- Lawyers
- Mentors
Investors and Their Ecosystem
- (Who Is Who And What Incentivizes Them And Trends And Effects)
- Kinds Of Investors
- How Investors Run Their Business
- Structure Of A Vc Firm
- Investor Incentives
- Vc Investors: Limited Partners (Lps)
Fundraising Structures
- (Fundamentals Of How Fundraising Is Organized)
- Stages — Pre-Seed, Seed, A, B, ...
- Types Of Fundraising
Financial, Legal, and Operational Setup
- When Do You Incorporate? When Do You Get A Lawyer?
- What Do Founders Need To Know And What Can Be Left To Lawyers?
- Forming A Corporation — C Corp, S Corp, Llc
- Legal Services
- Lawyers
- Cfos & Banking
- Confidentiality, Ndas (And When It's Needed)
The Terms of a Term Sheet
- Economics
- Control
- Other Terms
- Resources
Fundraising Preparations
- Timing
- How Much To Raise
- When And How Valuations Are Assigned
- Valuation Techniques
- Signaling Risk
- Sourcing Investors
- Outreach To Investors
- Selecting And Vetting Investors
- Materials To Prepare
- Evaluating Your Company
- Over-Preparation Is A Good Strategy
- Psychological Preparations
Running the Process
- Practical Aspects
- Managing Confidentiality
- Psychological Aspects
- Pitching Investors
- Practical Tools
Negotiation
- What Items To Negotiate On, What To Compromise On
- Negotiation Tactics
- Due Diligence
- Handling Or Reversing “No”S
- Resources
Reference Cases
- Famous Pitch Decks
- Blogs And Stories From Various Founders
Avoidable Blunders
- Showing Weaknesses
- Fundraising For Too Long
- Raising Money When Out Of Money
- Being Unprepared
- Pitching An Investor Who's Invested In A Competitor
- Lying To Investor (Team, Product, Others' Interest, Etc.)
Challenges and Setbacks
- Bias (Sexism/Racism) In Process
- Withdrawn Term Sheets
Platforms, Tools, Services
- Angellist
- Eshares
Regional Notes
- Sf Bay
- Nyc
Sector-Specific Notes
- Biotech
Gotchas
- 83(B) Filing On Time
- How Common Mistakes Are (With Examples)
Tips and Tricks
- Prepare Series A Due Dil List Up Front And Operate
- Things Investors Hate
- Publications Investors Read
- Not: Lifestyle Businesses, Llcs, Etc.
Resources
- Key Books
- Bloggers To Follow
- People To Follow On Twitter
- Newsletters