Startup Secrets

When you file your Form D with the SEC, it becomes public record. Get your ducks in a row before you get scooped. Underscore VC marketing director Devin Nash shares how to announce your Seed funding.

There’s still plenty of work to do once you get a term sheet. Underscore VC operating partner Jimmy Orsillo shares tips for negotiating term sheets, working with legal counsel, and closing the deal.

What should founders expect during venture capital due diligence? Underscore VC investor Brian Devaney walks through the process and shares how to best prepare for it.

How much money should I raise in a Seed round? Underscore VC operating partner Jimmy Orsillo shares advice to help founders answer this question.

Every business has competition—even if it’s not direct. Underscore VC partner Chris Gardner outlines how to talk about your competitive landscape in a Seed funding pitch.

What’s the most convincing way to measure your market opportunity? Underscore VC partner Richard Dulude shares best practices for how to calculate market size.

Investors know that an early-stage revenue model is likely to change over time—but they still want to hear how you’re thinking about it. Underscore VC partner Lily Lyman explains what to focus on a Seed-stage pitch.

It can be challenging for a founder to pitch a huge vision for a business—while also staying focused on making progress in the here and now. Underscore VC investor Sooah Cho explains how to strike the right balance in your pitch.

Underscore VC partner Chris Gardner explains how to describe the problem you’re solving, the solution you’re building, and the customer pain that it addresses.