The Funded Founder Newsletter

I’ve supported more than 300 founders globally, worked with over 200 investors, built accelerator programs, invested in startups myself and got on the Forbes 30 under 30 for it.

That means I’ve seen early-stage companies from several sides.

I’ve helped founders validate ideas, shape business models, make product decisions, prepare for fundraising, approach investors, and navigate the process after the first conversations begin.

Through the Utopia Pitch team, the founders we’ve supported have gone on to raise more than $50M.

But fundraising doesn't start when you open your pitch deck.

It starts with what you are building, the problem you choose, the market you enter, the business model you create, the traction you generate and whether the company you are building is one investors actually want to back.

I’ve also seen what happens when those pieces do not line up.

• Startups raising too early.
• Founders chasing the wrong investors.
• Strong products sitting inside weak businesses.
• And companies becoming fundable only after fixing what came before the fundraise.

The Funded Founder Newsletter is where I share what I’ve learned about building companies, raising capital, and evaluating startups from the investor side.

Practical lessons from almost a decade spent around founders, accelerators and investors.