Guides & Resources
Practical guides on fundraising, capital strategy, and financial decision-making for founders and growing businesses.
Startup Fundraising 101
Can You Return Capital to Investors Without an Exit? If you raise a small round from your network, can you pay investors back through dividends and buybacks instead of selling the company? The answer depends on your margins. What Investors Want to See in a Startup Financial Model A financial model is a demonstration that you understand your business. Here's what investors are looking for, what most founders get wrong, and how to build a model that earns trust. How Your Investors Make Money: Venture Capital Fund Economics, Angel Returns, and What It Means for Your Raise Understanding how venture funds, angel investors, and family offices make money changes how you negotiate. Here's the math behind their decisions. Should You Raise Venture Capital? Venture capital is designed for a specific type of company. Here's how to know if that's yours, what you're signing up for, and what happens if you get it wrong. What Is a Cap Table? A Founder's Guide to Reading and Managing Equity What a cap table is, how to read one, and what it looks like at each stage. Cap table examples from formation through Series A. Accredited Investors: What Founders Need to Know What an accredited investor is, why it matters for your fundraise, and what paperwork to collect. A founder's guide to the SEC requirements and how to stay compliant. SAFE vs. Convertible Note vs. Priced Round: How to Choose SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced equity rounds each have different mechanics and consequences. Here's when to use each one, what to negotiate, and how to avoid the traps. What Goes in a Startup Data Room A startup data room is the organized collection of documents investors review during due diligence. Here's what to include, how to organize it, and how to use it strategically. What Investors Look for in a Startup What investors evaluate in a first meeting: communication, founder-market fit, traction, unit economics, defensibility, and whether the ask is reasonable. LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp: How to Choose the Right Entity for Your Startup Which business entity should you choose? If you plan to raise outside investment, the answer is almost always a Delaware C-Corp. Here's why, and what happens if you choose wrong. How to Build a Pitch Deck for Investors How to build a pitch deck that gets meetings. What investors look at, how long they spend, the slides you need, and the mistakes that kill raises. How to Raise Money for a Startup A step-by-step fundraising checklist covering preparation, investor targeting, running a tight process, and closing. With frameworks from Klinger, Kevin Ryan, NFX, Techstars, Mark Suster, Sahil Lavingia, and Jason Yeh. TAM SAM SOM: How to Size Your Market for Investors A practical guide to TAM, SAM, and SOM for founders raising capital. Includes a bottoms-up case study with real data from a hardware startup. The Best Startup Fundraising Guides and Resources A curated reading list for founders raising their first round. The best guides, frameworks, and contrarian takes on startup fundraising.
Capital Sources
SBIR Grants and Non-Dilutive Funding for Startups SBIR grants, founder fellowships, state programs, and corporate credits. How non-dilutive funding works for startups, who qualifies, and how investors view it. SBA Loans for Startups: A Complete Guide SBA loans for startups explained: 7(a) loans, venture debt, working capital financing. When debt makes sense, when it doesn't, and how to qualify. How to Find Investors for a Small Business How non-tech businesses actually get funded. Capital options, investor types, and a decision framework for the other 98%.
Strategic Finance
Unit Economics for Non-SaaS Businesses Unit economics for CPG, manufacturing, services, and restaurants. How to calculate margins, CAC, and contribution by business type. What Does a Fractional CFO Do for a Startup? What does a fractional CFO do for a startup? Financial modeling, cash flow forecasting, fundraising, and strategic finance. What it costs, when to hire one, and how to evaluate fractional CFO services.