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Fundraising, decoded.

Insights on seed-stage fundraising, VC meetings, and startup evaluation.

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David Rakusan · April 28, 2026

How to Answer Difficult VC Questions: A Founder's Field Guide for 2026

Difficult VC questions are proof tests, not traps. When a partner asks how you found your first ten customers or what breaks if a competitor copies you, they are checking whether the claims in your deck hold up under pressure. This guide breaks down the four categories of hard questions you will actually face in a 2026 seed meeting, why rehearsed answers fail, and how to build a proof layer that turns interrogation into validation. Written by a founder who spent 7 years on the investor side.

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David Rakusan · April 14, 2026

Best Data Room for Startups in 2026: Why Proof Beats Documents

The $3.4B data room market keeps growing, but 95% of startup data rooms never get opened. The problem is not the software. Investors need proof that a startup is real, not more PDFs to skim. This guide compares traditional data rooms with proof-first investor profiles, includes a practical checklist based on what 885 VCs actually prioritize, and explains why structured proof closes rounds faster than organized files.

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David Rakusan · April 7, 2026

VC Due Diligence at Seed Stage: Why Investors Keep Asking the Same Questions

Seed stage due diligence is a proof problem, not a paperwork exercise. This guide, written by a founder with 7 years on the investor side, explains why VCs ask the same questions in every meeting, why conviction cannot be transferred between funds, and how structured proof breaks the repetition loop. Backed by research covering 885 VCs and 21,000 deals.

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David Rakusan · April 2, 2026

How to Find the Right VC for Your Startup (Before You Waste 38 Meetings)

The median seed round now takes 142 days to close (Carta, 2025), and most of that time is wasted on thesis-mismatched investors who would never invest regardless of how good the pitch is. This guide, written by a founder with 7 years of VC experience, breaks down the five filters every founder should apply before pitching, why thesis mismatches are the #1 cause of ghosting, and how structured proof can turn even cold outreach into a high signal message.

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