Founder Institute - Keystone’s Post

𝑽𝑪: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏? 🤦♂️ Amateur startup founders: ❌ We're worth 10-25M! ❌ Our financial model says… ❌ We were actually hoping you could help us with that. 👨🏼💼 Pro founders: ✔️ We’re letting the market price the round. ✔️ Here’s an approach we’ve kicked around with others, that we think could be fair - I’m interested to hear how you’d approach valuation though. ✔️ Fit is much more important than price. We’re fairly relaxed - with the right investor, we’ll find a deal that works.

Numbers tell a story, but it's your narrative that sells it. Imagine this: You are presenting a complex financial model to a group of potential investors. The numbers are solid, projections are conservative yet promising, and you have charts for days. You think, “I’ve got this in the bag.” But as you wrap up, you’re met with blank stares and polite nods. The room is cold. That's when a seasoned investor leans forward and asks, "But what's the story here? Why should we care about these numbers?" What a wake up call, right? Even if you master the language of finance, it means little if you neglect the art of storytelling. The investors don’t just want to see the numbers; they want to understand the vision behind them, the problem you’re solving, and why the solution mattered. That’s why you start every presentation with the 'why' before diving into the 'what' and 'how'. If you can't sell your ideas, you're up a creek without a paddle. Remember, in the world of startups and scale-ups, everyone—from investors to employees to customers—is buying into your story. Make it a good one. #BusinessStorytelling #StartupLife #FinancialLeadership

❓Is there such thing as a bs pitch? What happens most of the time, is that the pitch is too abstract and too idea-focused than necessary. If your pitch is all about the dream with no grip on reality, it's a hard pass for investors. The risk factor skyrockets with every 'what if' that remains unaddressed. Yet, once you start showing some initial discoveries, things begin to look up. Good pitch is more than just a good idea. It's the evidence of market traction, risks that have been tackled head-on, etc. What I'm usually looking for is for people wanting to discover the reality, not just daydreaming about the future that they imagined. If you'd like to truly understand the mechanics of your business and craft a compelling business model - drop me a message, our AI-based business model builder will come in handy.  #StartupAdvice #InvestorPitch #BusinessModelInnovation

I know you don't want to hear this, but... The less you want to build a financial model for your business, The more you probably need to. 😕 Here's why: Some businesses are simple; A couple customers, few employees, 100% gross margins, only a product or two. And there are some founders and operators who run businesses like this, For whom, the math is easy. They could build a model in their sleep Because a model already essentially exists Fully formed In their heads. But for others, things are more complicated. They have 🔴 Inventory 🔴 A growing team, 🔴 Many customers, 🔴 Variable price points, 🔴 Project-based pricing, 🔴 Unpredictable revenues, 🔴 Location-specific details, 🔴 Multi-step marketing funnels, 🔴 A beachhead product and new market, 🔴 Supplier and quantity-dependent unit cost, 🔴 COGs that include full-time, distributed labor, ...Or a combination thereof. And there are founders for whom modeling a business feels like An insurmountable task. One that will take gobs of precious time. And they have no clue how they’ll handle it. To the point where they might wonder, “Can I just please pay someone else to do it?" “Isn’t there isn’t just a template I can use?” “Do I really have to do this at all?" And it’s THESE founders who need to build that model most of all. Because if you don’t know how the math of your business works, Then you don’t know how your _business_ works. And if you don’t know how your business works, You’ll never be able to run it Very well. ---- 👋 I'm Lauren. I’m a CFO Advisor & 3x Founder who writes about building better startups. This post is particularly timely this week, because... Sales are closing TOMORROW for *Startup Financial Modeling 101*! At last count, we had 3 tickets left... Go from Zero -> Investor-Ready Model in this 2.5-hour course originally designed for students at NYU Stern's School of Business. ➡ Want in? Click the "Visit My Website" link in my bio to join! ⬅

🚀 “Financing Shouldn’t Feel Like Rocket Science!” 🚀 Hello, Business Trailblazers across the US! Ever felt like unlocking financial growth for your business was as complicated as launching a spaceship? 🚀 Well, strap in because we’re about to make your financial journey as smooth as a Sunday drive! Why Us? • Simplicity: We translate complex financial jargon into clear, actionable steps. • Speed: Your time is money. Our fast-track solutions put capital in your hands quicker than your morning coffee run. ☕️💨 • Support: Consider us your financial co-pilots, navigating you through turbulence to clear skies. Imagine where your business could go with a little less financial friction and a lot more fuel in the tank. Whether you’re scaling up, branching out, or just starting, we’re here to boost your business beyond the stratosphere. 🌟 Ready to Simplify Your Success? 🌟 Slide into our DMs or drop a comment below. Let’s chat about propelling your business to stellar heights without the rocket science headache. #BusinessGrowth #FinancialInnovation #StartupFunding #EntrepreneurMindset #SpaceOfFinance #NextLevelBusiness #FinanceTheFuture #RocketYourRevenue #AmericanEntrepreneurs #InnovateToElevate

90% of funding pitches fail because founders can't explain these numbers. We break down the 4 critical metrics investors scrutinize most closely, with real examples that show exactly what they're looking for. Swipe to master your investor conversations #StartupFunding #InvestorPitch #StartupMetrics #BusinessGrowth #TymsAI #VentureCapital #StartupLife #FundingRound

✨ Week 4: Crunching Numbers and Deep Dives ✨ This week has been a whirlwind of activity at Impart! 🚀 💼 Numbers, numbers, and more numbers From market analysis to revenue forecasting, pricing strategies to P&L deep dives — we’ve been elbows-deep in data. These insights are not just helping us sharpen our strategy but will also pave the way for more focused and productive discussions with our investors. It’s all about building a solid foundation for growth! 📊📈 💡 Exploring the ecosystem and user journeys We had an amazing research workshop with a couple of incredibly supportive individuals who share our excitement for this journey. Their feedback, input, and expertise are invaluable, helping us better understand the ecosystem we’re operating in and dive deeper into the journeys of our users. Huge thanks to Aleks Jaroszek for the work and energy! It’s people willing to help us that remind us why we believe in this product so strongly — and also highlight the power of being open about our journey and asking for help. 🌟 Every week brings new challenges and learnings, and we’re thrilled to keep moving forward. Progressing one step (and spreadsheet) at a time! Gavriel Magonet|Audrey Bret #StartupLife #entrepreneurship #angelinvestors #angelinvestment #angelinvesting #venturecapital #vc #fintech #userresearch #Innovation #productdesign

Met up with the lovely Marc Ortmans for a GEN UK and bizfundingclub event in London. Fabulous investor insights and great startup pitches. For all those founders out there some key takeaways ..’in the current economic climate raising is a fulltime role for a CEO, be resilient, you will get lots of no’s - don’t give up, don’t over hype your valuation with AI stories - know your transfomers from your algorithms - investors do, you don’t have to have AI in your story for investors to be interested- they like good businesses with clear paybacks, show the value/impact of what you do for your customer - be clear why someone would pay for what you do and name them if you have paying customers, know your current valuation and research the type of investor that’s right for you - minimise time wasting for all involved’ so many more pearls of wisdom. Thanks for the invite and for everyone’s time.

🚀 Get Investor-Ready with These 3 Key Steps: 🎯 Deep Market Insight: Tailor your pitch and confidently answer tough questions with solid data. 📈 Solid Business Model: Show how funding will accelerate growth and prove scalability. 💡 Perfect Your Pitch: Connect with investors through your unique startup story. 🌟 Share your top challenge or success in preparing for investors.

https://lnkd.in/eKaeda5X In this video, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to craft the perfect business plan and pitch deck to capture investors' attention. You'll learn how to meet investor expectations, structure your operations, manage the impact on your capital and ownership, and make your presentation compelling. We’ll also cover successful case studies, how to approach a Series A funding round, and key differences across funding stages. If you’re serious about taking your project to the next level, this video is for you!