Field Notes

Notes on raising,
and the work between rounds.

Plain writing on fundraising, pitch, and building companies that last, from both sides of the table. No hype. Just what I have seen work, and what I have seen fail.

Pitch & StoryFeatured

Most Pitch Decks Fail Before the First Slide

The deck is rarely the problem. The problem is what the founder believes the deck is for.

May 28, 20262 min
Read the piece

The Archive

Founder Psychology

Good Operators Still Struggle to Raise

Knowing the business deeply can make fundraising harder, not easier.

July 9, 20262 min
Pitch & Story

The Deck Is Where Weakness Becomes Visible

A pitch deck does not create conviction. It reveals whether conviction already exists.

July 2, 20262 min
Fundraising

Is Fundraising Consulting Worth It?

Fundraising consulting is worth it when it changes the quality of the round, not just the look of the deck.

June 30, 20264 min
Fundraising

Best Practices for Raising Capital

The best practices for raising capital start before the pitch: readiness, trust, investor fit, and disciplined follow-up.

June 30, 20264 min
Strategy

Fundraising Strategy for New Businesses

New businesses need a fundraising strategy that matches their proof, market, team, and capital use instead of copying later-stage playbooks.

June 30, 20264 min
Fundraising

Most Raises Break Before Investors Say No

Founders think rejection happens in the meeting. Most of the time, the round was already weak before the first call.

June 25, 20262 min
Fundraising

The Data Room Is Where Trust Gets Tested

A good pitch creates interest. A clean data room shows whether the founder actually understands the business.

June 17, 20264 min
Fundraising

The Round Is Closed Before the Meeting Starts

By the time you are in the room, the decision is mostly made. Here is what actually makes it.

May 14, 20262 min
Fundraising

Valuation Is a Story, Not a Spreadsheet

Early-stage valuation is not calculated. It is negotiated, anchored, and believed. Treat it that way.

April 30, 20262 min
Strategy

What I Look For in the First Five Minutes

I have written checks and watched founders raise from the other side of the table. The early signals are almost always the same.

April 16, 20262 min
Scaling

Default Alive Beats Default Fundable

Building a company that can survive without the next round is the strongest fundraising position there is.

April 2, 20262 min
Strategy

The Founder Update Nobody Reads (And How to Fix It)

Your investor update is a fundraising tool disguised as a chore. Most founders waste it.

March 19, 20262 min
Scaling

Hire Slow, Fire Fast - Why Most Founders Get It Backwards

Every founder hears it: "Hire slow, fire fast." But most don't get it-not until it burns.

April 22, 20252 min
Strategy

Why Most Startups Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Doesn't

Let me ask you something most people won't: Are you building a company-or just playing startup dress-up? Sam Altman said it best: "99% of startups die from suicide, not murder." That one line hit me like a gut punch.

April 15, 20252 min
Strategy

Product-Market Fit or Die: The Startup Law No One Can Break

The Startup Reality Check Imagine launching a rocket without enough fuel-it lifts off, sputters, and crashes back to Earth. That's what happens to 99% of startups that scale too early without Product-Market Fit (PMF).

February 19, 20253 min
Fundraising

Bootstrapping vs Fundraising: Which Path Is Right for You?

A practical way to decide whether to grow from revenue, raise outside capital, or use both at different stages of the company.

February 5, 20256 min
Strategy

DeepSeek AI: The Cheat Code MENA Startups Have Been Waiting For

Let

January 29, 20253 min
Strategy

Why Great Products Win Every Time

Most startups fail because they build products that users like, not products they love. The difference isn't just semantic-it's what separates thriving businesses from those destined for the graveyard.

January 8, 20254 min
Strategy

24 Lessons I Learned in 2024: The Year That Changed Everything

2024 was a whirlwind of growth, challenges, and unexpected blessings. If this year taught me anything, it's that life is a delicate balance between personal fulfillment, professional ambition, and staying grounded in what truly matters.

December 31, 20245 min
Strategy

30 Lessons from 30 Books: A Hustler's Guide to Business and Personal Growth

Over the past month, I set myself a challenge that combined my commitment to both personal growth and professional hustle: every day, I reviewed a book that holds powerful lessons for any entrepreneur. From productivity hacks to philosophical insights on business strategy, these 30 books are tools t

April 16, 20245 min
Fundraising

5 Tips for Crafting Effective Investor Updates

As you navigate the world of starting a company, don't overlook the importance of building good, long-lasting relationships with your investors. To ensure that your investor updates are effective, keep the following tips in mind: 1.

October 26, 20222 min
Strategy

The Missing Ingredients for Entrepreneurs

Startup founders often find themselves spread too thin to grow their business as they

September 11, 20223 min
Strategy

The 8 Valuable Startup Metrics

Your startup needs funding to grow and scale. In most cases, fast scalability and appropriate funding are the key ingredients required for the growth and development of a startup.

March 31, 20225 min
Fundraising

Selecting the Right Investor for Your Startup

Finding the right investor for your startup is crucial to moving your startup in the direction you want. However, the actual value of an investment may come from something more than the funds your startup is getting from the investor.

March 24, 20225 min
Fundraising

How to Keep Your Investors Happy

As you navigate the world of starting a company, don't gloss over the importance of building good, long-lasting relationships with your investors. Though every founder has a million things to do, ensuring investors get regular updates is critical.

March 20, 20226 min
Fundraising

How to raise funds in 2022

From the ideation stage to deploying the actual solution to the market, startup founders like yourself need to build synergy between several operation areas before arriving at the finished product. Getting every bit of your startup to work together will require adequate financial backing.

March 10, 20229 min
Strategy

The 5 Pillars of Successful Startups

Successful startup founders have their distinct experiences with scaling and building their startups. When you listen closely to their grind to structure and develop their successful startups, you begin to see some intersecting realities.

February 21, 20229 min
Pitch & Story

The 6 Ingredients of a Successful Elevator Pitch

A practical breakdown of the key elements founders need to make a short investor pitch clear, concise, and worth continuing.

February 10, 20225 min

Let’s start with a conversation.

Book a discovery call first. We’ll discuss your raise, identify what is stuck, and decide whether working together makes sense.