♞ Will a good company always raise?

In partnership with

Will a good company always raise?

As someone who helps others raise money, I always deal with a level of skepticism about how much an improved pitch or deck can really help someone raise.

It's hard to say definitively that good companies don’t raise without strong decks (because we never hear about those companies). The research that I’ve done academically showed that many great ideas from the 80s/90s/2000s that didn’t raise also didn’t have great decks, so a retrospective does provide some evidence for this line of thought.

There is 100% evidence that middle-of-the-pack companies can significantly increase their chances of raising with a better deck and that good companies can significantly increase the speed of their raise.

That last point is what I want to talk about in a little more detail.

When I first started focusing on pitching as a job, I heavily targeted first-time founders, believing that they were the ones who could benefit the most from my help. However, I found that these founders had no interest in my services; they didn’t see the value. I often talked to them and offered services when they were raising, and they would turn me down. Months later, when the runway was running out and it was too late, they would come back.

My core market is now second/third/fourth time founders. These founders have already raised millions. So why hire me?

The answer is simple. SPEED. These founders understand that with their skillset, they can raise in 9-12 months; with mine, they can raise in 6-9 months. If they raise three rounds before they start mass scaling Post-Series A, working with me could put them to a mass market one year ahead of schedule. That is the value they see.

Good companies can still benefit from prepping and having a great deck/pitch. Even if your company is so good that it will raise anyway, having an incredible deck will allow you to raise faster.

This is why you should always prep even if you have a great company you know will raise.

Intercom for Startups

Join Intercom’s Early Stage Program to receive a 90% discount.

Get a direct line to your customers. Try the only complete AI-first customer service solution.

Apply now

Are you looking to grow your business? Here is how I can help:

📢 Promote your startup to 2,000+ VCs including investors from a16z, YC, Techstars, Rarebreed, Sequoia and more.

📱 Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy. (If you need general startup advice, then reply to this email, and I’ll let you know if/how I can help.)

📺 Access FundraiseOS, the ultimate fundraising course with video lessons and practical worksheets helping with everything from deciding how much to raise to understanding a term sheet.

💸 Promote your product or service to 100,000+ entrepreneurs.

🌐 Connect with me on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter) to get access to new content about startups, fundraising, venture capital and more every day.

Onwards and Upwards,

Liam Gill