The VC process
What happens between first meeting and wire — and how to run it.
The VC process8 min
YC vs Techstars vs European accelerators 2026: honest comparison
YC still moves the needle. Techstars is geo-vertical insurance. EF and Antler ar…
The VC process7 min
Term sheet signing day 10 day checklist 2026
The 10 days between term sheet signing and wire kill more deals than the term sh…
Cornerstone19 min
Bridge rounds and extensions in 2026: when to raise, when to avoid
The 2026 bridge round playbook: three structures, milestone math, and how to tel…
The VC process9 min
Term sheet red flags in 2026: what to negotiate
Most seed term sheets in 2026 are clean. The few that aren't can cost you millio…
Cornerstone9 min
The VC due diligence checklist for a seed round in 2026
Every VC due diligence question at seed in 2026 — by lane, with what's actually …
The VC process8 min
How to handle multiple term sheets at seed in 2026
Two or three term sheets is the best problem in fundraising — and the easiest to…
Cornerstone16 min
The evolution of fundraising tech: from rolodex to AI agents (2005-2026)
Five eras of fundraising tech across two decades — what got disrupted, what didn…
The VC process6 min
When to start raising seed in 2026: a calendar math guide
Seed round timing in 2026 has three 10-week launch windows before August and Dec…
The VC process9 min
Rolling close vs hard close seed 2026: the mechanics
Rolling closes get a bad rap from lead VCs, but the 2024 data tells a different …
The VC process7 min
15 questions to ask VC meeting partners in 2026
15 questions to ask VC meeting partners, with the answer patterns that separate …
Cornerstone14 min
Picking lead investor seed 2026: the 9-factor scorecard
Most founders choose their seed lead on check size and brand, then regret it 18 …
The VC process6 min
Founder reference calls VC prep in 2026: who to line up
VC reference patterns shifted in 2025. Off-list backchannels are standard at see…
The VC process6 min
Decoding VC rejection email meaning: 12 common 'no' phrases
What 12 common VC rejection phrases actually signal about your next move, and ho…
The VC process8 min
Data room vs deck seed: what goes where in 2026
At seed, 80% of the pitch lives in the deck. The data room is a trust signal, no…
The VC process6 min
Crypto seed due diligence in 2026: the 22-item VC checklist
The 22-item crypto seed DD checklist specialist VCs run in 2026, across code, to…
The VC process8 min
How VCs make decisions: inside the IC memo
Four published IC memos, deconstructed. The shared structure, the conviction lan…
The VC process8 min
Closing a seed round: term sheet to wired funds
The 2-6 week choreography from signed term sheet to wired funds, plus the four f…
The VC process8 min
VC term sheet explained: what to fight for in 2026
Five clauses shift your economics. Twelve don't. Here's the 2026 priority stack.
The VC process7 min
VC reference calls: what investors really ask in 2026
The three VC reference calls that actually decide deals: forward customers, back…
The VC process6 min
The 6-week fundraise timeline: week-by-week what to do
Week-by-week playbook for a 6-week fundraise: list-build, one-wave send, stacked…
The VC process8 min
VC partner meeting: what changes at the full partner room
At the VC partner meeting, your champion stops advocating, the skeptic runs 80% …
Cornerstone17 min
The VC fundraising process in 2026: inside the firm
The VC fundraising process in 2026 from inside the firm: the nine stages, the IC…