There’s no shortage of content out there targeted at founders who are in the process of fundraising for their startups. The advice centers around pitching, selling, and valuing your company while managing a timely process.
But what happens when the fundraising frenzy ends? Amidst the never-ending tips for securing cash, a guide for navigating the post-round aftermath is missing.
My first experience fundraising for a startup happened in March of 2019. I had just come out of Y Combinator and raised a ~1 million dollar seed round. As a first-time founder, I wondered, “now what?” but asking anyone this felt vulnerable.
It turns out I wasn’t as alone as I felt in my post-fundraising anxiety. And I wasn’t the only one with questions. In private groups and smaller circles, founders of all funding levels are asking each other for help.
I decided this information should be more accessible, so I interviewed a handful of entrepreneurs who’ve raised a Series A to put together advice, perspectives, and tactical to-dos answering the question, “I just raised a Series A — now what?”
I put these in chronological order so you can follow it like a to-do list. Consider it the missing handbook for navigating those first 3–6 months after the raise.
Thanks Kevin Chiu, Max Kolysh, Vince C. Ning, Kerry Wang, Hanmei Wu, Brian Vallelunga, Waseem Daher and a few anonymous founders for the insights you provided for this article.
Investors love reminding founders how “the real work is only just starting” after every should-be happy milestone a founder hits. Just raised money and burnt out/exhausted? Well, congrats! The real grind is still ahead.
They aren’t totally wrong. A fundraise is a precursor to a time of major growing pains and change. With one milestone crossed, the next can feel like it’s at the top of a mountain in the distance. Some founders will keep pushing forward, never taking time to slow…
