The VC process
What happens between first meeting and wire — and how to run it.
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…