Understand the venture capital business model and what motivates investors
Craft a narrative-driven pitch deck that secures partner meetings
Model dilution, pre-money vs post-money valuations, and stock option pools
Evaluate YC SAFE notes, convertible debt, and priced equity rounds
Master key term sheet clauses: liquidation preferences, pro-rata, and protective provisions
Run a tight, competitive fundraising process that creates FOMO and multiple term sheets