Before the raise

Not ready to raise yet? Get ready the way investors will judge it.

“Come back when you have more traction” is one of the most frustrating things an investor can say, especially when nobody tells you which traction. We'll tell you exactly what investors in your space need to see, and help you build the plan to get there. Run it yourself, or bring us in for one of these two.

Start with the diagnostic, $199 Compare the two

Fully refundable before the 15-minute mark. Credited in full toward the GTM Strategy within 30 days.

Two ways to get ready

Set the strategy, then build the evidence.

Pre-revenue or early revenue, and the model isn't settled

GTM Strategy

$1,800About 2 weeks

We work through your business model, pricing and first market with you, and turn them into a go-to-market strategy investors can follow. You run the execution; we make sure it's the right plan.

The business model: who pays, how, and why you
Pricing, and how to test it with real buyers
The first customer segment to win
The GTM plan, with the validation milestones investors look for
A written GTM strategy you keep, ready for your data room

Strategy, not hands-on growth or lead generation. One third of the fee is credited if you move to the Partnership within 90 days.

Executing the GTM strategy, and building the evidence to raise

Monthly Execution Coaching

$300/month3-month minimum, then month to month

Monthly coaching sessions as you execute the strategy and build the evidence investors need to see, with an investor's eye on what counts.

A monthly coaching session against your plan and your numbers
The one to three things that matter this month, and what to leave alone
A “ready to raise” signal, set together and tracked monthly
When you hit it, move straight into the Sprint or the Partnership

Start with the diagnostic, $199

How the GTM Strategy works · about 2 weeks

The plan investors will judge you on, built first.

1Business modelWho pays, and why
2PricingTested with real buyers
3Starting wedgeThe first segment to win
4GTM planWith the milestones investors look for
5Strategy documentReady for your data room

Strategy, not hands-on growth or lead generation. You run the execution; we make sure it's the right plan.

Who you'll talk to

Investor-side insight, and deep business understanding.

Investment decision-making and diligence at six funds, companies we built ourselves, and hundreds more coached on growth, strategy, governance and execution. We work backwards from what investors fund, and know how to build the business that gets you there.

Alex Chen

Managing Partner

Deal Partner at a leading Silicon Valley venture fund; sat on the investment committee as a Venture Partner at a Boston early-stage VC
Serial founder: QuantWave, ALCLE
Has coached hundreds of technology companies, from 0 to 1 and 1 to 100
Engineering PhD, University of Waterloo

Yvonne Wang

Managing Partner

Deal Partner at Boardy Ventures; sources for a Silicon Valley early-stage fund and corporate and angel investors
Has worked inside the investment and diligence process at three funds
Consulted for 30+ organizations, including Fortune 500 companies and government agencies
Has taken multiple businesses from 0 to 1

Learn more about us →

Select case studies

Founders who got ready first.

All case studies →

Revenue up 10×

AI software, close to 1,000 sign-ups

AI & Software · Pre-seed

GTM Strategy
Then a top US accelerator said yes

Close to a thousand sign-ups, single-digit paying customers, and a founder about to cut the price. The GTM Strategy went deep on the use cases, the target customer and pricing, reshaped the offer and tested it with design partners. Revenue grew 10× from single-digit paying customers, and a top US accelerator admitted them on the new story.

How we worked togetherGTM Strategy

~$1.4M raised on the new model

Hardware company: selling by unit → software-driven

Physical AI · Early stage

Investors passed after the numbers
Business model reworked

High marginal cost, weak repeat purchase and a visible ceiling: investors ran the numbers and passed. The GTM Strategy reworked the business model around recurring revenue and tested it with existing customers. We then coached the founders through the raise on the new model: about $1.4M.

How we worked together1-hour focused session → GTM Strategy → Fundraising Partnership

~$3M raised after the pivot

Hardware engineering team

Deep Tech · Early stage

Every serious investor had passed
Pivot to an industrial use case

A strong team building a consumer service with no moat, and every serious investor passed. Through monthly coaching, we dug into the industry to find where their hardware and deployment skills faced the least competition, and rebuilt the business model around an industrial use case. Then we coached them through the raise: a round of about $3M.

How we worked together1-hour focused session → Monthly Execution Coaching → Fundraising Partnership

Anonymized to protect clients. Ask us about relevant cases during or after your diagnostic for a walk-through.

Questions

Before you book.

Which one is right for me?

The GTM Strategy if the business model, pricing or first customer segment isn't settled: about two focused weeks. Monthly Execution Coaching if the strategy is set and you're building the evidence to raise. Many founders do one, then the other. The diagnostic will tell you where to start.

Do you run the growth or find customers for us?

No. We set the strategy and the milestones; execution stays with your team, where it has to live. That's what keeps this affordable and keeps you in control.

Do I need the diagnostic before Monthly Execution Coaching?

Yes. Every engagement starts there, so the monthly sessions work on the right things from the first month.

What happens when we're ready to raise?

You move to the 6-week Fundraising Sprint or the Fundraising Partnership. One third of the GTM Strategy fee is credited if you move to the Partnership within 90 days.

Find out what needs to happen first.

Thirty minutes, a straight read on your readiness, and the exact steps to get there.

Book the diagnostic, $199

Fully refundable before the 15-minute mark, so there's no risk. Credited in full within 30 days toward the Fundraising Partnership, the Sprint or the GTM Strategy.

Got questions? Connect and message either of us on LinkedIn: Alex Chen or Yvonne Wang.

Not ready yet?

Short notes on raising, from both sides of the table. Book when it's time.

Or check your readiness in 3 minutes →