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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us summary
Mike Belsito
How to Raise $1 Million for Your Startup – Even Outside of Silicon Valley
22 mins
Brief summary
Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us by Mike Belsito is a guidebook for entrepreneurs who want to raise seed funding without relying on traditional venture capitalists.
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Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us
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Key idea 1 of 8
To attract investors, you need to prove your business is viable.
A-listers like Lady Gaga and Ashton Kutcher have given venture capitalism a certain glamor. If you’re a business founder looking for seed funding, it’s easy to get caught up in fantasies about which celebrity will invest in your business. But what you should be focusing on is your business plan. After all, investors back businesses, not ideas.
Even in Silicon Valley, where investors are on the lookout for the hottest new company, a start-up will only get funding if it can prove it’s a viable business. Outside Silicon Valley, the challenge is even harder. Investors beyond the Bay Area tend to be more conservative. So, unless you can demonstrate that your start-up is more than just a brilliant idea, you won’t get the seed funding you need.
Here’s the key message: To attract investors, you need to prove your business is viable.
Demonstrating your business’s viability at the start-up stage may sound impossible. After all, how can you show an investor your business is viable before you have funding to actually make it viable?
But there is a way to do just that. It’s called traction.
Traction is a method to show your business model will generate a return on investment. It will prove that your model is based on actual data and not just assumptions about how much money you’ll make.
Start by creating a financial plan that shows how every dollar of funding will result in three dollars of revenue. This will demonstrate to investors that your model is financially viable.
Next, create a prototype to show investors what your idea will look like as a product. Your prototype doesn’t need to be fully functional. You can create a mock-up or a cheap sample using a 3D printer. Or make a video that can be shared online. Entrepreneur Drew Houston used a video demo to show how file-sharing product Dropbox would work long before he created it.
Finally, line customers up by promoting your product before you launch it. Use a service like Launchrock to collect the details of people who may want to buy your creation. Tens of thousands of potential customers were on Houston’s mailing list before Dropbox was released, proving there was a market for his brilliant idea. This type of traction confirms there’s a market for your business concept. And a market is what attracts investors.
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What is Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us about?
Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us (2015) provides insight into how to secure investors for your new business, even if you’re located outside a major start-up community. Its practical advice will explain how to make your business more attractive to investors and how to build the relationships you need to secure start-up capital.
Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us Review
Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us (2021) by Mike Belsito is a valuable resource for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to secure funding for their startup ventures. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
- It offers practical, actionable advice on raising seed funding, providing readers with tangible strategies to navigate the complex world of startup financing.
- By sharing real-life stories and case studies, the book exemplifies the challenges and triumphs of securing seed funding, offering invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.
- With its accessible language and straightforward approach, the book presents complex concepts in a digestible manner, ensuring readers stay engaged and find the subject matter fascinating.
Best quote from Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us
Getting the investor to believe in the problem youre solving is half the battle in winning over investors.
—Mike Belsito
Who should read Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us?
- Start-up founders looking for investors
- Entrepreneurs working outside a major start-up community
- Innovators wanting to commercialize a product
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Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us FAQs
What is the main message of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us?
The main message of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us is how to successfully navigate the world of startup funding.
How long does it take to read Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us?
The reading time for Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us a good book? Is it worth reading?
Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us is a valuable read for aspiring entrepreneurs. It provides practical insights and tips for securing seed funding.
Who is the author of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us?
The author of Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us is Mike Belsito.
What to read after Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us?
If you're wondering what to read next after Startup Seed Funding for the Rest of Us, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- What Every Angel Investor Wants You to Know by Brian S. Cohen and John Kador
- Why Startups Fail by Tom Eisenmann
- The Entrepreneurial Bible to Venture Capital by Andrew Romans
- How to Start a Start-up by ThinkApps
- Super Founders by Ali Tamaseb
- Built to Last by Jim Collins
- The Startup Playbook by David S. Kidder
- Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
- The Innovation Stack by Jim McKelvey
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
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