Over the past decade of working in startups, the topic I get asked most about is fundraising, and I'm not surprised. When I decided to strike out and start my first company in 2008, I knew NOTHING about fundraising. My cofounders had to explain to me what an "angel investor" was, and as far as I was concerned, the whole concept of venture capital was as mythical and impossible as angels, dragons, and unicorns. It was something you saw in TechCrunch, but does it really happen?
But time and experience are great teachers. Since 2008, I've directly helped entrepreneurs raise over $10M in financing through venture capital, private individuals, crowdfunding, SBA, and debt, and been involved in the deployment of over $70M in venture funding. Additionally, I've coached and advised countless entrepreneurs and friends through fundraising, as well as sat on the other side of the table working on early-stage investments for angel investors at Tech Coast Angels and Golden Seeds.
In the following Facebook Live video, my friend and TechSparks colleague, Sonya Lee, asks me her questions and audience questions about fundraising. It's an honest conversation, through which I hope to help de-mystify the venture capital experience for all of you. If you have any questions, please contact me via this website.