Let me say this loud and clear: Stop obsessing over your pitch deck! Sure, it’s a tool, but it’s not the whole story. If you’re chasing cash without building something that matters, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Here’s the truth: Investors don’t care about your deck; they care about the problem you’re solving and whether you have the chops to solve it. So, ditch the “polish before purpose” mindset and get to work on what really matters—building a company that solves real problems.
Step 1: Solve Real Problems
Nobody funds fluffy ideas. The first rule of startup success? Find a real, painful problem to solve. Here’s how:
• Talk to Humans: Yes, real ones. Interview potential customers, dig into their challenges, and figure out what keeps them up at night.
• Validate the Pain: Back up your findings with data. “It feels like a big problem” isn’t enough. Show the market potential.
• Test Simple Solutions: Build a prototype or demo that proves your idea works. Fancy slides won’t impress anyone if you can’t back them up.
Let me repeat this again until it sticks: BUILD SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.
Step 2: Build Relationships, Not Just Slides
You don’t win investors by dazzling them with fonts and transitions. You win them by earning their trust and proving you know what you’re doing.
• Talk to Founders: Reach out to those who’ve been there. Their war stories will teach you more than any blog post ever could.
• Engage Early: Investors don’t just back ideas—they back people. Build credibility by showing them you’ve done the work.
• Create Advocates: Founders, advisors, and customers who believe in your vision will speak for you when it counts.
Fundraising isn’t about selling—it’s about showing up with confidence and clarity.
Step 3: Use AI as a Helper, Not a Shortcut
AI is cool, but it’s not a magic wand. Don’t expect ChatGPT to turn half-baked ideas into a $10M term sheet. Instead, use it wisely:
• Draft Smarter: Use AI to organize and iterate on your ideas.
• Ask the Right Questions: Prompts like “What would an investor want to see in this slide?” can sharpen your focus.
• Reality Check: Remember, AI isn’t your customer or investor. Validate everything with real people.
ChatGPT can help refine, but it’s still up to YOU to make it real.
Step 4: Fundraising Is a Step, Not the Goal
Listen up: Fundraising is NOT the finish line. It’s the fuel to take your vision to the next level. If you treat it as the end goal, you’re missing the point entirely.
Investors want to see that you have:
• A clear problem worth solving.
• The right team to solve it.
• A roadmap that proves you know what you’re doing.
Your pitch deck is just the evidence—not the story. The story is YOU, your team, and the company you’re building.
Step 5: Make It Matter
Here’s the deal: If your startup doesn’t make a difference in someone’s life, what’s the point? Build something that solves problems, helps people, and creates real value. If you focus on that, the funding will come.
So let me say it again, for the people in the back: BUILD SOMETHING THAT MATTERS. TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. AND DARN IT, FUNDRAISING IS A STEP, NOT THE GOAL!
Stop dreaming up perfect pitch decks and start talking to customers. Build something worth pitching—because when you do, the deck will write itself. Fundraising isn’t about the deck; it’s about the company you’re building.
And remember, you’ve got this. Now, go out there and build something awesome.
Candice Matthews Brackeen
Founder + CEO of Lightship Foundation
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