Raising Capital

• 09/02/2026in Raising Capital, Startups

  The Better Startup Pitch Test: Why Most Decks Fail Before Investors Ever Say No

  Most pitch decks don’t fail because the startup is doomed (though I’ve explained how we know that’s the case just from how you pitch, here). They fail because the founder is thinking in PowerPoint instead of economics, incentives, and narrative logic. Every founder asks for the template to follow, as though there is some magic...
• 22/10/2025in Economic Development, Raising Capital

  The Customer of Venture Capital Isn’t the Founder, It’s the Investor

  Until Cities Get That Straight, Startups Will Keep Starving for Capital It’s a weird day when the world’s entrepreneurs sound like customers complaining about a bad product. “We can’t find funding.” “Investors aren’t taking risks.” “There’s no capital in our city.” You’ve heard it a thousand times; it’s the economic equivalent of Yelp reviews from...
• 11/09/2025in Insights / Research, Raising Capital

  “I’ll See It When I Believe It,” Entrepreneurs and Startup Investors Put Conviction Before Cash Flow

  That tired phrase has been responsible for more missed fortunes than bad timing or bad luck. It’s the refrain of cautious uncles, small-town bankers, and risk-averse executives who prefer their innovation the way they prefer their wine: aged, tested, bottled, and priced at a predictable markup. But in the world of entrepreneurship, that order of...