If your first interaction with an investor is asking for money, you have already lost.

Cold pitching investors has a success rate of nearly 0%. Warm introductions have a success rate of over 50%.

The gap between those two numbers is where most fundraising rounds die.

Most founders think they are stuck because they don't have a rich uncle or a deep network. The reality is: You just have the wrong process.

In this episode, I break down the Investor Warm-Up Protocol, a 4-step engineering approach to manufacturing warm relationships from cold contacts.

Read the full breakdown on the blog: https://ftb.bz/126B

Watch The Video: https://ftb.bz/126V

🚀 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS

1. The Deep Dive (Workshop Recording):

This episode is adapted from my full 90-minute workshop, "From Cold Outreach to Capital." It covers the entire system, including target list building, email scripts, and automation tools.

👉 Get the Workshop: https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

2. The Full System (Founder Quest Intensive):

Want to rebuild your entire fundraising stack (Model, Narrative, and Outreach) with hands-on coaching? Join the next cohort of the Founder Quest Intensive.

👉 Apply here: https://FounderQuest.com/intensive

In this episode, we cover:

· The Radar Ping: How to become "familiar" before you ever send an email.

· The "Quick Question": The specific type of DM that gets a reply (and what gets ignored).

· The Update Loop: How to automate trust-building over time.

· The Trap: Why pitching on the first call kills the deal.

#startup #fundraising #venturecapital #founder #entrepreneurship

🛑 Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan

Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.

In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.

🔑 Key Lessons You Will Learn:

· The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.

· The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.

· Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.

· The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.

· Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.

🔗 Resources & Links

Find the full transcript and blog post here:

👉 https://ftb.bz/125B

Watch the video:

🎥 https://ftb.bz/125V

Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/

🚀 Struggling to Raise Capital?

If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:

Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:

🔥 https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO

The 6 Startup Pitches Every Founder Needs

Most founders only create one pitch deck, and it costs them investors.

In this video, I’ll show you the six pitches every startup founder needs to win funding. From your 3-minute competition pitch to your self-guided deck for investors to read on their own, each version has a specific purpose. Skip one, and you risk losing the deal.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why different contexts demand different pitches

✅ The right length and structure for each type of pitch

✅ How to avoid the common mistake of using the wrong deck at the wrong time

✅ How to build a self-guided deck that actually gets read

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to tailor your message whether you’re on stage, in a meeting, or in an investor’s inbox.

📌 Want to go deeper? Join my Pitch Deck Alchemy workshop for a 90-minute masterclass on designing a deck that gets you funded: https://founderquest.com/pitch-deck-alchemy

Read the Blog: https://ftb.bz/124B

Watch the Video: https://ftb.bz/124V