# fundraising

A skill that walks a founder through the whole funding path, from choosing bootstrapping over VC to closing a Series A or selling the company.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2100 installs · ★ 1434
- Author: RefoundAI
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/RefoundAI/lenny-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-07-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/fundraising

## What it does

The skill covers four steps: assessing capital needs, refining the narrative and materials, executing the raise, and managing investor relations afterwards. It ships with frameworks — a four-step Series A process, a readiness assessment built on the credible value hypothesis, a fundraising timeline running from 12 months out to close, a materials checklist, and a startup acquisition playbook. The full list lives in `references/artifacts.md`.

The material comes from 15 guests and posts across Lenny's Podcast and Newsletter. That shapes the stance: bootstrapping is treated as practice at making money, and VC money as fuel for a billion-dollar ambition. If your model does not need heavy upfront capital, the skill leans toward efficiency instead.

It also asks the founder pointed questions: how much runway is left, whether there are at least eight months before the round has to close, what the specific why-now is, and which single data point belongs on slide one. Answer honestly, since the answers decide which framework you get pointed at.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add RefoundAI/lenny-skills --skill fundraising -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/fundraising/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add RefoundAI/lenny-skills --skill fundraising -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add RefoundAI/lenny-skills --skill fundraising -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install RefoundAI/lenny-skills fundraising
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add RefoundAI/lenny-skills --skill fundraising -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/RefoundAI/lenny-skills --path skills/fundraising
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add RefoundAI/lenny-skills --skill fundraising -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/RefoundAI/lenny-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/fundraising/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- decide between bootstrapping and raising venture capital
- build a pitch deck around a strong first slide
- schedule investor outreach and keep the round's momentum
- turn an investor rejection into a new deck slide
- set up regular reporting for existing investors

## Example prompts
- help me decide whether to bootstrap or raise VC
- build the materials checklist before our Series A
- review our pitch deck and tell me what belongs on slide one

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: cf54339e9b7269be.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE cf54339e9b7269be
```text
---
name: fundraising
description: Help users navigate the end-to-end lifecycle of funding a startup, from choosing between bootstrapping and VC to closing a Series A or managing a strategic exit.
---

# Startup Fundraising and Exits

Master the art of raising capital, managing investor relations, and navigating strategic acquisitions.

Help the user with startup fundraising and exits using insights from 15 guests and posts across Lenny's Podcast and Newsletter.

## How to Help

1. **Assess Capital Needs** - Help the user determine if they should bootstrap or raise venture capital based on their market ambition and business model complexity.
2. **Refine Narrative and Materials** - Guide the user in building a compelling why now narrative, a structured pitch deck, and a targeted investor list.
3. **Execute the Raise** - Provide a tactical schedule for outreach, high-density meeting blocks, and managing momentum to close the round efficiently.
4. **Optimize Investor Relations** - Assist in creating systematic asks and reporting structures to extract maximum value from the existing cap table.

## Core Principles

### Bootstrapping as a Business Skill
Jason Fried: "The reason I think it's great for entrepreneurs to start bootstrapping is because they just have more practice making money, and they get better, and better, and better at the fundamental skill you need to have ultimately to run a successful business, which is to make money."

Mastering the ability to generate profit from day one builds fundamental business muscles that external capital can often mask. Only seek investment if your business model truly requires massive upfront capital like hardware or factories.

### Lead with Immediate Impact
Uri Levine: "Most people are missing the most important slide of their presentation is the first slide. This slide is going to be presented for the longest period of time. This is the place that you're going to put your strongest point. Now the second most important slide is the last one."

Investors form opinions quickly, so you must place your most impressive data or insight on the very first slide. This captures attention immediately and sets the tone for the rest of the presentation.

### Iterative Refinement through Rejection
Melanie Perkins: "But investors also gave really helpful feedback and feedback. Often in the form of rejection, they would say, "Oh, your market's not big enough," and I would say, "It's going to be huge." And I'd add a new page in my pitch deck that said how big the market I believe was, and then they'd say, "You're the same as some of other company." And I would say, "Hey, now I've got a new slide in my pitch deck that shows all the players and the huge gap in the market that we believe we're going to fill.""
```
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