Rod Ebrahimi, Ready for Zero @unSEXY August 9, 2012

1. Early-stage fundraising when your vertical is not sexy.
Rod Ebrahimi - Co-founder/CEO
August 9, 2012

2. Objective of this Talk

3. Objective of this Talk

4. Objective of this Talk

5. Objective of this Talk
Y Combinator
Small $250k Seed
$4.45m Series A

6. Guts of this Talk
Part 1. What’s not different
Part 2. What’s different
Part 3. What we did

7. What’s not different
(stuff you already know)
• Getting people to part with money is hard work.
• Your story, product, and team matter a lot.
• Momentum is key.
• Get to “No” as fast as possible.

8. What’s different
(with examples)
I. Tell a personal story that describes the problem well.

9. What’s different
(with examples)
I. Tell a personal story that describes the problem well.
II. Extract key data indicators that show you are actually
solving the problem you set out to solve.

10. What’s different
(with examples)
I. Tell a personal story that describes the problem well.
II. Extract key data indicators that show you are actually
solving the problem you set out to solve.
III. Get highly-regarded, trusted introductions.

11. What’s different
(with examples)
I. Tell a personal story that describes the problem well.
II. Extract key data indicators that show you are actually
solving the problem you set out to solve.
III. Get highly-regarded, trusted introductions.
IV. Stay visible and confident.

12. What we did
(with bank balance details)

13. Our Story
Bank balance: $0 :~(

14. Our Story
Bank balance: $17k :)

16. Our Story
Bank balance: $10k :(

17. Our Story
Bank balance: $10k :(
very unSexy

18. *
* well, more than 100 million Americans not the 1%‘ers

19. Our Story
Bank balance: $8k :(

20. Our Story
Bank balance: $258k :)
Small $250k seed with basic working product and positive press.

21. Our Story
Bank balance: $5k :(
$4.5m Series A Round

22. Our Story
Bank balance: $4.4m :)

24. Thanks.
@innovatebig