Lance Cottrell

The Investor Warm-Up Protocol: How to Turn Cold Investors into Warm Leads — Feel the Boot The Hard Truth: If your first interaction with an investor is putting your hand out for cash, you have already lost. Most founders aren’t lucky enough to have a deep ...

The gap between 3% and 50% investor response rates.

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

You aren't stuck. You just have the wrong process.

Get the fix here: https://www.rfr.bz/b5ae4fb

#startup #fundraising #founder #entrepreneurship

I’m pruning my vineyard soon. We cut 90% of the wood to save the fruit.
Most founders are terrified to cut.
But you can't feed everything.
Growth requires subtraction.
Need help finding the 90% to cut? Book a Roadmap Session: https://www.rfr.bz/bc91b22

Comic. [Two people in front of projected satellite image. A small portion of the image is pixelated squares.] PERSON 1: Wait, when was this imagery taken? Is this censorship the work of the contractor? One of our people? *Foreign actors!?* PERSON 2 with ponytail: Do we know who’s operating a facility at that location? PERSON 1: We can’t find *anything*. [caption] My hobby: Setting up big colored panels in the middle of nowhere as a prank on remote sensing people

Satellite Imagery

xkcd.com/3173/

Without traction, raising capital is just spinning your wheels.

Investors don't pay for activity. They pay for grip.

Don't ask investors to pay for gas until you can prove the tires work.

Here is the link to grab your seat for Thursday: https://www.rfr.bz/ba073a7

Learn to Speak With Investors The venture world has its own specialized vocabulary. If you want investment, you have to speak with investors on their own language. Be sure to understand the following words and ...

My friend and fellow angel, DC Palter, just published a superb Venture Dictionary https://www.rfr.bz/bbfc172

I dive deeper into the mechanics of these terms in my workshop, Deal Terms That Make or Break You.
https://www.rfr.bz/b9b7ce1

#VentureCapital #Fundraising #Startup #TermSheet #Founder

David Homan destroys the biggest myth in founder networking.

You think you’re bad at networking because you’re an introvert who hates schmoozing?

Think again.


See the full episode now at https://www.rfr.bz/b273a61

#Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #Networking #BusinessStrategy

Most founders fail at fundraising before they ever pitch.

That’s why I’m excited to be running Fundraising Fundamentals again, the workshop that started it all.

Join the live Fundraising Fundamentals workshop: the foundation for successful startup fundraising.
https://www.rfr.bz/bac483d

Learn to avoid term sheet traps and hidden deal pitfalls.
Check out my workshop Deal Terms that Make or Break You here:
👉 https://www.rfr.bz/bdffd34

Raising with a SAFE or convertible note?

You might be giving away more of your company than you realize.

Most founders don’t think through how the cap and discount interact, and that can create massive unexpected dilution later.
https://www.rfr.bz/bbcbf79

Learn the complete system for raising your startup’s first round the smart way.
💡 Get the Fundraising Fundamentals workshop here: https://www.rfr.bz/b7000b6

Most cold outreach fails before it even begins.

Why? Founders open with a pitch. Investors hit delete.

In my last workshop, I shared my system for turning cold contacts into warm conversations.

The trick: start with a short question investors actually want to answer.

Most founders raise money without realizing how much ownership they’re giving up.

The size of your round should balance:
Need, valuation, & dilution.

Get that balance wrong, and you either struggle to raise or give away too much, too soon.
https://www.rfr.bz/b822360

Pet Shop Boys opportunities is about finding a co-founder.

Recently, I was listening to “Opportunities” by the Pet Shop Boys (Gen X much?)

I realized that it is about a technical founder recruiting a non-technical co-founder.

Now I can’t hear it any other way.

You’re welcome.

"From Cold Outreach to Capital: Fundraising When You Don’t Have Connections" shows you how to raise without a network.

This $99 workshop can bring you $1m+ in investments.

It runs live on Zoom Wednesday, September 24th, at 10 AM PDT.

👉 Click Here to Register: https://www.rfr.bz/b6a20f2

Today, we bottled our 2024 Pinot Noir to make space for the 2025. 🍷

Many businesses have abstract results. It can be challenging to recognize the impact you have on your customers.

So, pop a cork and celebrate your successes and milestones along the way by sharing them in the comments! 🍾

Behind every failed startup is one stubborn bottleneck they couldn’t escape.

What challenges or obstacles are you facing that would unlock massive potential if you could overcome them?

I’m planning the next round of Founder Quest workshops, and your answers will help shape them.

The Seasons of Fundraising Learn the seasonality of fundraising. Timing, urgency, and planning can give your startup the edge to raise faster and win VC attention.

This NFX blog on fundraising seasonality is spot on.

They also make some other great points about fundraising that sound very familiar. 🙃

https://www.rfr.bz/bf03ed1

Most founders only build one pitch deck.
And that’s why many startups never get a fair shot.
The truth is, you need six different pitches for different moments, from a 3-minute stage pitch to a self-guided deck for email.
Miss one, and investors won’t see your strengths.
https://www.rfr.bz/bb1bee2

Startups can break you if you let them.

Don’t sacrifice your health, joy, or relationships hoping to earn them back later.

You need fuel during the journey.
https://www.rfr.bz/b9a1815

It’s better to travel the road with others. Join us at the Crossroads https://www.rfr.bz/b99c3f5

I recently watched a crew in my vineyard hand-pluck leaves and move shoots. It doesn’t scale, but it’s critical to quality.

Startups are the same. “Do things that don’t scale” isn’t just for day one. It’s how you keep real feedback flowing.

What hands-on task do you still do yourself, and why?

Raising money for your startup means owning less of it.

But it’s not because you sold your shares.

It’s called dilution. Your slice shrinks, while the whole pie grows. 🍰

👉 For more startup fundraising insights, subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.rfr.bz/b2dc42a

Strong logic isn’t enough. Investors taste with their eyes first.
Show up sharp, speak clearly, and polish your deck.
Even a great product can be overshadowed by sloppy delivery.

Ready to see if you’re truly pitch-ready?
Take the quick quiz 👉 https://www.rfr.bz/bc1a042

My Pinot grapes just hit veraison, when they turn sweet.

Startups go through the same shift: from pushing a product to customers pulling it from your hands.

If you’re there, you’re ready to pitch. But 80% of deals fail in due diligence.

DM me for details on my Surviving Due Diligence workshop.

Start pitching before you’re ready and investors will shred you.

1️⃣ Why this problem now?
2️⃣ Why are you the team to solve it?
3️⃣ What proves that customers will pay?
4️⃣ How will your raise hit clear milestones on a timetable?
5️⃣ What’s the exit size?

Take my quiz ➜ https://www.rfr.bz/b821e15

Are you struggling to raise capital for your startup?

I’m hosting a 90-minute online workshop @ 10 AM PDT on Wednesday, July 23rd, to demonstrate how my system works, so you can start implementing it yourself.

Reply "Framework" or message me for pricing, link, and details.

You don’t scale by clutching every task like Gollum and his ring.

Hire → train → watch the newbie fumble → resist grabbing the wheel.

Painful? Yes.
But the faster you delegate, the faster the company grows. That’s the CEO loop.

Where are YOU still the bottleneck?

Investors kill deals fast when founders lack Founder-Market Fit: the hard evidence you’ve “lived” the problem.
Credibility, Insider insight, and Real access show up pre-seed, long before P/M fit.

I break down how to spot & fix FMF in today’s Feel the Boot: https://www.rfr.bz/bb4a17d

Startup fundraising is a weird side-quest inside the main startup game.
Win it or you’ll never get back to building your unicorn.

Stuck on the money mini-game? Join our free founder community, The Crossroads, and dive into all the resources.

https://www.rfr.bz/b447e9d

https://www.rfr.bz/b6b50d0

Strong logic isn’t enough. Investors taste with their eyes first.
Show up sharp, speak clearly, and polish your deck.
Even a great product can be overshadowed by sloppy delivery.

Ready to see if you’re truly pitch-ready?
Take the quick quiz 👉 https://www.rfr.bz/baa6907

San Diego police admit license plate reader data breach in early days of program The SDPD's license plate reader database was searched nearly 13,000 times during the early weeks of its use in 2023 and 2024.

Vendors like Flock have been successful in part by "creating this false sense of security that a individual police department’s use policy is going to be enough to govern whether or not a city’s ALPR data gets out,” EFF’s @tsnvaa.bsky.social told Times of San Diego.