I have been around in Fundraising circle with my two startups. These are the learnings from my logical mistakes. All the knowledge has emerged from experiential learning and more importantly by doing a lot of mistakes!

1. The art of
Fundraising
2016
by Omkar Pandharkame

2. Nail the Pitch
K.I.S.S ( KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY)
How big is your problem you are solving?
At the end of the day, it all boils
down to 3 questions :
- How big is your problem?
- How cool is your Solution?
- Why are you the best person to
solve the problem?

3. When is it right?
TIMING IS THE KEY
Dont even think of Funding until you have
- A fully functional product
- Early good traction
- First 5-10 Paying Customers ( Depends on
your business)

4. The Awkward
Follow up
DONT BE DESPERATE
Dont be that ex- girlfriend
Treat your potential Investor as your
client. Also never rely one single investor
for your funding needs.
- Have 1 lead investor and then people
backing him.
- Having a single investor is rare and may
not be beneficial.

5. Smart Money
PEOPLE MATTER
Not all money is good money
When raising investment ask three
questions
- What locks will the money open?
- How involved will the investor be?
- Can you benefit from the investor
other than his money?

6. Dont Fake
BEING REALISTIC
Real people get the real money
Your business predictions should be
reasonable. If you are fooling the
investor, then you dont have the right
investor. Work out this prediction sheet
- 3 year Plan
- Account unforeseen expense
- keep 15-20% Contigency

7. CockroachStartup
SUSTAINABLE PROFITS
Money to grow, Not to survive
Ensure you are raising the money to
grow and not survive.
Investment should be raised for :
- Developing a better product
- Expanding to newer market
- Upsizing the team

8. Funded doesn't mean
succesful
BURN MATTERS
Not the end of your journey
Funding is your shift from 1st gear to
2nd gear. A funded startup doesn't
mean a successful startup.
- Keep the burn limited
- How many months you would survive
if you dont do any business
- Dont spend like a shopping mall on
sale

9. People get invested,
Not ideas
YOU ARE THE INVESMENT
Do you have what it takes?
An average idea but with great
executioners is a great investment,
but the opposite isnt. Investors look at
- Are you doing it because there is a
business opportunity or you are
passionate about it?
-
02

10. Keep the good work up!