Startup Fundraising: Everything You Need to Know with Adam Draper - Hustle Con 2015

TL;DR

Fundraising is extremely difficult, typically involving many rejections over a long period (the speaker took 12 months, 3000 emails, 350 meetings to get 35 investors). The key mindset shifts are treating every meeting as a long-term connection, pitching constantly to anyone (including friends), understanding that money is not real until it hits the bank, and recognizing that investors invest in a

Key insights

• Fundraising took the speaker 12 months: emailed 3000 investors, met 350, got 35 investors – a ~10% conversion rate, with 315 rejections.
• First meeting is “day zero” for the investor; they need to see a track record over time before deciding.
• “Investors invest in lines not dots” – consistent monthly updates build the line; the best entrepreneurs email every month with progress.