Happy New Year!,
Kicking off 2025 with something I feel people need to hear. All founders want to hit that sweet unicorn status, but how is it impacting the ecosystem? I share some thoughts.
Also;
đ¸ - Social Snapshot- small vs large VCs
đ - Fundraising Cheat Sheet
đď¸ - Most Watched Video of 2024
đ - Nailing your 1st calls with investors
Welcome to issue 103!
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Your Pitch Deck Probably Sucks...
For most first-time founders, the idea of a pitch deck sounds easy, but I often get decks with "v43" in the filename, implying it's the 43rd iteration of a deck đ
Don't be this founder. Collaborate with active VCs on your deck and pay a professional designer to eliminate the guesswork and make a strong first impression when you're ready to pitch investors.
I use DECKO for my clients to ensure I'm getting the expertise we need to get a great deck turned around quickly. They're a group of active VCs who help founders with their decks, you can't go wrong. And you get 10% off with the link below.
Give them a try.
Upgrade Your Pitch Deck with Decko
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Social Snapshot
đ°The difference between small cap and large cap VCs by Samir Kaji on X.
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How It's Easier to Raise Capital for Growth Through Acquisition w/ Patrick Butler
Here's a throwback to the most listened-to episode of 2024. I spoke with Patrick Butler, a serial entrepreneur, co-founder, and CEO of BizDefender, a first-of-its-kind fraud prevention tool for SMBs. Learn about his journey from coaching football in France to entrepreneurship.
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Data Corner
2025 Cheat Sheet
According to data built from 1,000+ VC rounds on Carta (H2 2024).
Quick hits:
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Raising Capital for your startup?
Thunder's mission is to guide founders toward the right path to reach their North Star, be it through securing equity or debt financing or navigating the path to a successful exit.
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Why Chasing a $1B Valuation is Messing You Up
Ah, the mythical unicorn. Rare, beautiful, and every founder's dream. Achieving a $1 billion valuation has become the holy grail for startups, I've heard it in so many pitches. But obsessing over unicorn status is problematic. Not every company can cross that $1B mark, and not every company needs to.
Chasing the Wrong Metric
Valuation is a vanity metric. Sure, itâs a shiny badge that looks great in TechCrunch headlines and on LinkedIn posts, but itâs not necessarily a true reflection of your companyâs health. A $1 billion valuation doesnât necessarily mean youâre profitable, scalable, or even sustainable. Many unicorns are losing money faster than they can raise it. (Remember WeWork?
Toxic Growth Pressure
The unicorn race creates unhealthy pressure. Founders are pushed to scale at all cost, raising huge funding rounds, chasing "hypergrowth", and prioritizing short-term gains over long-term stability.
This pressure breeds burnout, high turnover, and a loss of focus on your core mission. If the goal is just âreach unicorn status,â itâs easy to forget what youâre building.
Dilution and Losing Control
Hitting $1 billion often requires massive funding, and that means dilution. Founders can lose control of their company piece by piece. Investors may force you into exits or decisions that donât align with your vision. Is the trade-off worth it?
Build a Camel, Not a Unicorn
I know there's too many animal analogies in VC but this one is relevant. Instead of chasing unicorn status, aim for resilience. Build a camel: resourceful, steady, and built to last. Hereâs how:
Focus on Profitability: Build a business that makes money and sustains itself. Revenue beats valuation hype.
Prioritize Customers: Your customersânot investorsâare what keep your business alive. Solve their problems.
Sustainable Growth: Rapid scaling often sacrifices efficiency and quality. Steady, thoughtful growth wins in the long run.
Redefine Success
Success doesnât require a $1B valuation. A $50 million profitable business, with happy employees and satisfied customers, is a huge win. You donât need to burn out chasing someone elseâs definition of success.
The startup world needs a reset. Instead of idolizing unicorns, letâs celebrate businesses solving real problems and building sustainable futures. The unicorn dream can leave you broke, burnt out, and tied to investors. Resilience, sustainability, and real impact? Thatâs true success.
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Happy with Fundraising Demystified?
Let me know how you like the newsletter (it will only take a minute). Any topics you'd like me to cover? Click below and share.
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Free Fundraising Resources
That very first call with an investor could make or break your relationship. Find out how to get that all-important second call on your way to funding here:
đ The guide to nailing your first investor call- Download it Here
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