It’s actually better if you don’t need anything

If you build relationships only when you need something, you’re not just too late, but you’re also doing it wrong.

That’s not meant to be a judgment. It’s just how access works.

So much early capital flows through relationships that were built long before anyone was raising a round. It’s a network built on the same schools, old coworkers, accelerator cohorts, overlapping industries, and even shared value systems. By the time money is on the table, the trust has already been there for a while.

We’ve talked about why relationships are the hard skill of fundraising. We’ve talked about how to connect without feeling like you’re selling.

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