Podcast
Funded.
They raised millions for their startups. But how? 200+ episodes of founders walking through the actual mechanics, right after they closed.
All episodes
Interview = long-form with a founder · Backchannel = solo essay
- BackchannelTBC 144Apr 21, 20266m
TBC 144: Why You Don't Need Money to Start Moving
- InterviewEp 62Apr 16, 202655m
Mohak Nahta – How Atlys Raised a $36M Series C from Susquehanna After 11x Growth | Ep 62
- InterviewEp 61Apr 14, 202643m
Jackson Schultz – How an Angel Army of CISOs Unlocked a Lead Investor for ArgusEye | Ep 61
- BackchannelTBC 143Apr 5, 20266m
TBC 143: Stop Using Fancy Words in Your Fundraising Pitch
- BackchannelTBC 142Apr 3, 20267m
TBC 142: Why Cold Outreach Fails (and the 4 Tactics That Actually Work)
- InterviewEp 60Mar 26, 202639m
Alex Bazzell – How Bessemer Found Unrivaled & Wrote a $35M Term Sheet Overnight | Ep 60
- InterviewEp 59Mar 24, 20261h 4m
Emilė Radytė – How a Cold LinkedIn DM Led to $5M from In Venture & Fortify | Ep 59
- BackchannelTBC 141Dec 31, 202510m
TBC 141: Why Investors Tune Out Before You Get Started
- BackchannelTBC 140Dec 17, 20258m
TBC 140: How to Actually Get to Calendar Density
- BackchannelTBC 139Dec 15, 202511m
TBC 139: Hitting the Resonant Frequency With Investors
- BackchannelTBC 138Dec 11, 202518m
TBC 138: Do SAFE investors need to be accredited? (Interview with Aaron Ginsburg @ Fenwick)
- InterviewEp 58Nov 25, 202537m
Ariana Thacker – From “Too Niche” to $8M for Mold Co from Cantos and Collab Fund | Ep 58
- BackchannelTBC 137Oct 9, 20255m
TBC 137: Grease the Friction in Fundraising
- BackchannelTBC 136Oct 2, 20257m
TBC 136: Time-Saving Fundraising Strategies
- InterviewEp 57Sep 30, 202545m
Minna Song (EliseAI) — From Crazy Early in Conversational AI to $250M from A16Z | Ep 57
- BackchannelTBC 135Sep 25, 20255m
TBC 135: Ask for Help: Fundraising Storytelling
- BackchannelTBC 134Sep 18, 20256m
TBC 134: Building a Helpful Network Ethic
- EpisodeJul 17, 20256m
TBC133: How to Close an Angel Round
- EpisodeJul 10, 20256m
TBC132: The Right Type of Investor
- EpisodeJul 3, 20258m
TBC131: The Human Side of Investor Relationships
- EpisodeJun 26, 20259m
TBC130: The First Lesson of AI in Fundraising
- EpisodeMay 29, 20255m
TBC129: Fundraising in the Age of AI
- EpisodeMay 22, 20257m
TBC128: Focus on What Matters
- EpisodeMay 15, 20256m
TBC127: Why Talking Too Much Is Killing Your Pitch
- EpisodeMay 8, 20257m
TBC126: When VCs Start Dreaming With You
- EpisodeMay 1, 20257m
TBC125: What I Learned Coaching HBS Founders on Fundraising
- EpisodeApr 24, 20258m
TBC124: The Power of Helping When You Can (HBS Story)
- InterviewEp 56Apr 22, 20251h 7m
Alex Salazar on Taking Arcade from Zero to a $12M Round (Alex Salazar / Arcade - Ep 56)
- EpisodeApr 17, 20254m
TBC123: Can You Pitch a Big Vision?
- EpisodeApr 10, 20255m
TBC122: Early Signals That Matter to Investors
- EpisodeApr 3, 202510m
TBC121: The Fundraising Equation [T(G) - T(TI)]
- EpisodeMar 27, 20256m
TBC120: The LP Problem No One Talks About
- EpisodeMar 20, 20258m
TBC119: The State of the Fundraising Market in 2025
- InterviewEp 55Mar 18, 202557m
How Brian Sheng Closed a $112M Round for Aquaria (Brian Sheng / Aquaria - Ep 55)
- EpisodeMar 13, 20258m
TBC118: How to Create Urgency and Set Deadlines in Fundraising
- EpisodeMar 6, 20256m
TBC117: What Are the Toughest Questions Asked When Pitching?
- EpisodeFeb 27, 20252m
TBC116: Finding the Perfect Blend of Data and Narrative
- EpisodeFeb 20, 20256m
TBC115: Are You on the Right Fundraising Path?
- EpisodeFeb 13, 20256m
TBC114: Holding Myself Accountable: 2025 Goals Check-In
- EpisodeFeb 6, 20255m
TBC113: Convincing Investors During Slow Growth Phases
- EpisodeJan 30, 20255m
TBC112: Fundraising Advantages... Are They Real?
- InterviewEp 54Jan 28, 202553m
How Andrés Ornelas Vargas Closed a $2.2M Round for Verve Market (Andrés Ornelas Vargas / Verve Market - Ep 54)
- EpisodeJan 23, 20255m
TBC111: The NEW Bar for Raising Pre-Seed Rounds
- EpisodeJan 16, 20256m
TBC110: Happy New Year Supercharging Tip!
- EpisodeJan 9, 20256m
TBC109: Should You REALLY Be Raising From VCs?
- EpisodeJan 2, 20258m
TBC108: The Power of Closing Dates in Fundraising
- EpisodeDec 26, 20245m
TBC107: High Valuations vs. Simple Structure
- InterviewEp 53Dec 24, 20241h 0m
How John Patrick Mullin Closed a $11M Round for MANTRA (John Patrick Mullin / MANTRA - Ep 53)
- EpisodeDec 19, 20247m
TBC106: Mastering Final VC Meetings
- EpisodeDec 12, 20248m
TBC105: How to Build Momentum During a Fundraise
- EpisodeDec 5, 20247m
TBC104: Why Raise From Angels PART TWO
- EpisodeNov 28, 20247m
TBC103: Why Founders Should Consider Raising From Angels
- InterviewEp 52Nov 26, 20241h 2m
How Ron Belldegrun Closed a $95M Series C for ByHeart (Ron Belldegrun / ByHeart - Ep 52)
- EpisodeNov 21, 202410m
TBC102: A Tale of Two Investors
- EpisodeNov 14, 20248m
TBC101: The Importance of Jumping on Planes
- EpisodeOct 31, 20246m
TBC100: Likability vs. Brilliance
- InterviewEp 51Oct 29, 20241h 2m
How Curtis Northcutt Closed a $25M Series A for Cleanlab (Curtis Northcutt / Cleanlab - Ep 51)
- EpisodeOct 24, 20246m
TBC99: How Anxiety Ruins Warm Intros
- EpisodeOct 17, 20246m
TBC98: GPs Have Trouble Raising Too
- EpisodeOct 10, 20244m
TBC97: How to Build Awareness as a Founder the Right Way
- EpisodeOct 3, 20248m
TBC96: How to Handle the Heat of an Investor Pitch
- InterviewEp 50Oct 1, 20241h 8m
How Teasha Cable Closed a $1M Seed Round for CModel (Teasha Cable / CModel - Ep 50)
- EpisodeSep 26, 20249m
TBC95: Types & Motivations of Angel Investors
- EpisodeSep 19, 20249m
TBC94: Unpacking Uncapped SAFEs
- EpisodeSep 12, 20249m
TBC93: Valuations, SAFEs & Convertible Notes Explained
- InterviewEp 49Sep 10, 202453m
How Michael Diesu Closed a $2.5M Seed Round for Revenue Roll (Michael Diesu / Revenue Roll - Ep 49)
- EpisodeSep 5, 20249m
TBC92: Revisiting Post-Money vs Pre-Money Cap SAFEs
- EpisodeAug 29, 202411m
TBC91: Investor Lists & Launching a Fundraise (HOW TO)
- InterviewEp 48Aug 27, 202453m
How Christal Wang Closed a $2.2M Seed Round for Shimmer (Christal Wang / Shimmer - Ep 48)
- EpisodeAug 22, 20248m
TBC90: What Do Pre-Seed & Seed Rounds Look Like in This Market?
- EpisodeAug 15, 20248m
TBC89: Why You Need Deadlines for Your Raise
- InterviewEp 47Aug 13, 20241h 0m
How Orri Bogdan Raised a $2M Seed Round for VAE Labs (Orri Bogdan / VAE Labs - Ep 47)
- EpisodeAug 8, 202412m
TBC88: How To Show VCs Traction
- EpisodeAug 1, 202414m
TBC87: Answering Founders Questions About The Fundraising Process
- InterviewEp 46Jul 30, 202459m
How Coco Brown Raised $2.5M in Venture Capital for Athena Alliance (Coco Brown / Athena Alliance - Ep 46)
- EpisodeJul 25, 20248m
TBC86: How Do I handle Inbound Interest From VCs?
- EpisodeJul 18, 202411m
TBC85: 5 Controversial Fundraising Ideas
- InterviewEp 45Jul 16, 202457m
How Brian Raymond Raised $65 Million in Funding for Unstructured IO (Brian Raymond / Unstructured IO - Ep 45)
- EpisodeJul 11, 20247m
TBC84: Why Smart People Struggle With Fundraising
- EpisodeJul 5, 202415m
TBC83: Answering Founders Questions About Pitch Decks
- InterviewEp 44Jul 2, 202457m
How Analisa Goodin Raised Over $31 Million in Funding for Catch+Release (Analisa Goodin / Catch+Release - Ep 44)
- EpisodeJun 27, 20249m
TBC82: Understanding VC Signals
- EpisodeJun 20, 202411m
TBC81: Answering Your Questions About Getting Passed On
- EpisodeJun 18, 20241h 8m
The Story Behind Incognia's Pivot & How it Led Them to Raise $45.6M
- EpisodeJun 13, 20249m
TBC80: Why Monthly Investor Newsletters Might Be a Bad Idea for Founders
- EpisodeJun 6, 20249m
TBC: Is Silicon Valley Still the Place to Be for Startups? (TBC79)
- InterviewEp 42Jun 4, 202454m
The Story Behind Lex's $5.6M Seed Round (Jennifer Lewis / Lex - Ep 42)
- EpisodeMay 30, 20246m
TBC: How Much Should I Raise? (TBC78)
- EpisodeMay 23, 20248m
TBC: How I Work - For Easily Distracted Founders (TBC77)
- EpisodeMay 21, 20241h 6m
The Journey of Ian Swanson Starting 3 Venture-Backed Successes (Ian Swanson / Protect AI)
- EpisodeMay 16, 20244m
TBC: Why Every Founder Needs Third-Party Feedback (TBC76)
- EpisodeMay 9, 20248m
TBC: Pro Tip for VC's - The Personal Newsletter (TBC75)
- InterviewEp 40May 7, 202453m
How Nancy Xu Raised $10M for Moonhub (Nancy Xu / Moonhub - Ep 40)
- EpisodeMay 2, 20245m
TBC: How & Why to Get a Technical Co-founder (TBC74)
- EpisodeApr 25, 20243m
TBC: Addressing Competition With Investors (TBC73)
- InterviewEp 39Apr 23, 20241h 2m
The Story Behind SGNL Raising $22M in 2 Years (Scott Kriz / SGNL - Ep 39)
- EpisodeApr 18, 20245m
TBC: Understanding VC Firms to Send the Right Signals (TBC72)
- EpisodeApr 11, 20247m
TBC: Dilution 101 For Founders (TBC71)
- InterviewEp 38Apr 9, 202458m
The Story Behind Purple Metrics Closing Their $1.2M Pre-Seed Round (Guta Tolmasquim / Purple Metrics - Ep 38)
- EpisodeApr 4, 20246m
TBC: Why the Pre-Seed Round Was Created... and How It's Changed (TBC70)
- EpisodeMar 28, 20244m
TBC: Taking Advice From Charlie Munger (TBC69)
- InterviewEp 37Mar 26, 20241h 5m
The Story Behind Atlys Raising $16.3M in Venture Capital (Mohak Nahta / Atlys - Ep 37)
- EpisodeMar 21, 20247m
TBC: Should You Announce Your Fundraise? Pros vs Cons. (TBC68)
- EpisodeMar 14, 20249m
TBC: The 7 Forms of Support You Need to Fundraise (TBC67)
- InterviewEp 36Mar 12, 202450m
Betting on Yourself: The Journey to Closing a $7.6M Seed Round (Stacy Edgar / Venteur - Ep 36)
- EpisodeMar 7, 20247m
TBC: Lead vs. Co-Lead Investors (TBC66)
- EpisodeFeb 29, 20248m
TBC: Pattern Recognition (TBC65)
- InterviewEp 35Feb 27, 202459m
Builder Turned Fundraiser: Tractian's $45M Series B (Igor Marinelli / Tractian - Ep 35)
- EpisodeFeb 22, 20245m
TBC: The Use of Funds Slide (TBC64)
- EpisodeFeb 15, 20245m
TBC: The Secret Value of the Email Appendix (TBC63)
- InterviewEp 34Feb 13, 202450m
Trailblazing the VC Industry (Joanna Strober / Midi Health - Ep 34)
- EpisodeFeb 8, 20244m
TBC: 3 Tips for Choosing Service Providers (TBC62)
- EpisodeFeb 1, 20245m
TBC: What's the Deal With Thesis-Driven Firms? (TBC61)
- InterviewEp 33Jan 30, 20241h 6m
Paying the Peter Thiel Price (Dylan Beynon / Mindbloom - Ep 33)
- EpisodeJan 25, 20245m
TBC: Bouncing Back After Failure (TBC60)
- EpisodeJan 18, 20244m
TBC: Creating a Story That Can Be Shared (TBC59)
- InterviewEp 32Jan 16, 20241h 6m
A Wyoming Success Story ( Heather Shoemaker / Language I/O - Ep 32)
- EpisodeJan 11, 20246m
TBC: Should Founders Try Again With Investors Who've Passed? (TBC58)
- EpisodeJan 4, 20245m
TBC: Don't Fall Into The Builder's Trap (TBC57)
- InterviewEp 31Jan 2, 20241h 4m
Fundraising EQUALS Hard Work (Bobby Pinero / Levels - Ep 31)
- EpisodeDec 28, 20237m
TBC: The Similarities Between Real Estate and Fundraising (TBC56)
- EpisodeDec 21, 20237m
TBC: The Need For Support in Fundraising (TBC55)
- EpisodeDec 14, 20235m
TBC: CEOs Should Always Be the Ones to Pitch (TBC54)
- EpisodeDec 7, 20236m
TBC: Explaining "The Money Round" (TBC53)
- EpisodeNov 30, 20235m
TBC: Preparing For a Pitch Competition (TBC52)
- EpisodeNov 27, 20237m
TBC: Data Rooms - What You Need to Know (TBC51)
- EpisodeNov 16, 20236m
TBC: Pitching VCs Through a Screen (TBC50)
- EpisodeNov 9, 20235m
TBC: Launch Before You're Ready (TBC49)
- EpisodeNov 2, 20234m
TBC: How to Grow Your Network FAST (TBC48)
- EpisodeOct 26, 20234m
TBC: Importance of CRM Systems When Fundraising (TBC47)
- EpisodeOct 19, 20236m
TBC: Pre-seed vs. Seed - What's the difference? (TBC46)
- EpisodeOct 12, 20236m
TBC: How to Handle Investor Rejection (TBC45)
- EpisodeOct 5, 20236m
TBC: Preparing to Fundraise in a Down Market (TBC44)
- EpisodeSep 28, 20236m
TBC: Build Your Reputation First (TBC43)
- InterviewEp 30Sep 26, 20231h 0m
Down by 20? Down But Not Out... (Tiffany Kelly / Curastory - Ep 30)
- EpisodeSep 21, 20236m
TBC: Insights From My Trip to Brazil (TBC42)
- EpisodeSep 14, 20238m
TBC: Work / Life Balance (TBC41)
- InterviewEp 29Sep 12, 202353m
Becoming the Pepsi to Indeed's Coke (Lucas Martinez / Talent.com - Ep 29)
- EpisodeSep 7, 20233m
TBC: The Role of Emotions in Pitching (TBC40)
- EpisodeAug 31, 20238m
TBC: What VCs Are Saying About AI Investing (TBC39)
- InterviewEp 28Aug 29, 20231h 2m
Thriving With or Without Funding (Andrew Gazdecki / Acquire.com - Ep 28)
- EpisodeAug 24, 20235m
TBC: Intros & Forwardable Emails (TBC38)
- EpisodeAug 17, 20235m
TBC: Side Letter Warning (TBC37)
- InterviewEp 27Aug 15, 202359m
The Hustlers Journey (Thomas McLeod / Arkive - Ep 27)
- EpisodeAug 10, 20234m
TBC: Putting Project Management First (TBC36)
- EpisodeAug 3, 20234m
TBC: What Comes First - Calm Confidence or Investor Interest? (TBC35)
- InterviewEp 26Aug 1, 202350m
Breaking the Status Quo (Lolita Taub / Ganas Ventures - Ep 26)
- EpisodeJan 31, 20238m
TBC: Post Money Cap Safes have Anti-Dilution! (TBC34)
- EpisodeJan 24, 20237m
TBC: Post Money Caps vs. Pre-money Caps (an explainer) (TBC33)
- EpisodeJan 17, 20235m
TBC: Vulnerability in Fundraising (TBC32)
- EpisodeJan 10, 20234m
TBC: The Rollercoaster of Fundraising (TBC31)
- EpisodeJan 3, 20234m
TBC: Deck-Building: Note Cards (TBC30)
- EpisodeDec 27, 20223m
TBC: Chase or Be Chased? (TBC29)
- InterviewEp 25Dec 22, 202248m
Money Baggage in Fundraising (Shiloh Johnson / ComplYant - Ep25)
- EpisodeDec 20, 20226m
TBC: Rest (TBC28)
- EpisodeDec 15, 20225m
TBC: How VCs are trained (TBC27)
- EpisodeDec 13, 20225m
TBC: The ability to be great is everywhere but resources are not (TBC25)
- EpisodeDec 13, 20224m
TBC: Decks as Appetizers (TBC26)
- InterviewEp 24Dec 1, 20221h 2m
A Bubble valuation that's not so inflated? (Bubble / Emmanuel Straschnov - Ep24)
- EpisodeNov 29, 20225m
TBC: The Importance And Fragility Of Credibility (TBC24)
- EpisodeNov 22, 20226m
TBC: Explaining "this isn't venture-backable" (TBC23)
- InterviewEp 23Nov 17, 20221h 13m
Being The Pattern (Stax / Suneera Madhani - Ep23)
- EpisodeNov 15, 20226m
TBC: Why in-person meetings are so valuable (TBC22)
- EpisodeNov 8, 20224m
TBC: Eisenhower Matrix And Health Insurance (TBC21)
- InterviewEp 22Nov 3, 202254m
The Times They Are A-Changin (Flow Club / Ricky Yean - Ep 22)
- EpisodeNov 1, 20225m
TBC: VC Anxiety - Why am I seeing this deal? (TBC20)
- InterviewEp 21Oct 20, 20221h 1m
Finding The ‘Right’ Problem (Othership / Robbie Bent - Ep21)
- EpisodeOct 20, 20224m
TBC: The dirty secret of thesis-driven firms (TBC19)
- EpisodeOct 20, 20223m
TBC: Pitch The Circle (TBC18)
- EpisodeOct 7, 202242m
Diverse Female Founders (Special Funded Ep)
- EpisodeMay 4, 20223m
TBC: Cold Intros vs. Warm Intros (TBC17)
- EpisodeMay 2, 20223m
TBC: The most famous pass ever (TBC16)
- EpisodeApr 29, 20224m
TBC: Rounds are going CRAZY fast... (TBC15)
- EpisodeApr 27, 20224m
TBC: Narrative strategies and why they're important (TBC14)
- EpisodeApr 25, 20223m
TBC: You should share your wins (TBC13)
- EpisodeApr 22, 20224m
TBC: FOMO - a helluva drug (TBC12)
- EpisodeApr 20, 20224m
TBC: The mistake of over-targeting investors (TBC11)
- EpisodeApr 18, 20222m
TBC: Red Flag - solution looking for problems (TBC10)
- EpisodeApr 15, 20223m
TBC: Warm up meetings with investors (TBC09)
- EpisodeApr 13, 20225m
TBC: The different roles at a VC (TBC08)
- EpisodeApr 11, 20224m
TBC: Fundraising like a salesperson (TBC07)
- EpisodeApr 8, 20223m
TBC: The benefits of intense fundraise prep (TBC06)
- EpisodeApr 6, 20224m
TBC: Should I stage my VC convos in tiers? (TBC05)
- EpisodeApr 4, 20223m
TBC: Who should set valuation? (TBC04)
- EpisodeApr 1, 20223m
TBC: Why you should learn investor language (TBC03)
- EpisodeMar 30, 20223m
TBC: A thought on decks and appendices (TBC02)
- EpisodeMar 28, 20223m
TBC: Don't Be A Science Project (TBC01)
- EpisodeMar 26, 20220m
TRAILER: What is The Backchannel (TBC)
- EpisodeMar 24, 20221m
Announcement: What's New?
- InterviewEp 20Dec 8, 202148m
Fundraising Holiday Blues (Grapevine / Emily Rasmussen - Ep20)
- InterviewEp 19Nov 23, 202150m
If at First You Don't Succeed (Humming Homes / Adeel Malick - Ep19)
- InterviewEp 18Nov 9, 202153m
The Culture of Preemptive Rounds (Neuro-ID / Jack Alton - Ep18)
- InterviewEp 17Oct 27, 202145m
Catching a Steady Wave 🏄 (SteadyMD / Guy Friedman - Ep17)
- InterviewEp 16Oct 13, 20211h 14m
The Secret Science of Fundraising (REMIX: Levels / Sam Corcos - Ep16)
- InterviewEp 15Sep 21, 202152m
The Foreign Language of Fundraising (Cobli / Parker Treacy - Ep15)
- InterviewEp 14Sep 7, 202154m
Learning the Fundraising Dance (Nude Barre / Erin Carpenter - Ep14)
- InterviewEp 13Aug 24, 202155m
Investor Psychology 101 (Givingli / Nicole Emrani Green - Ep13)
- InterviewEp 12Aug 10, 202144m
Stayin' Alive 🎶(Omaze / Matt Pohlson - Ep12)
- InterviewEp 11Jul 27, 20211h 3m
Networking hard or hardly networking? (HMBradley / Zach Bruhnke - Ep11)
- InterviewEp 09Jul 27, 202146m
Good fundraising for a “good business” (ChargerHelp! / Kameale Terry - Ep09)
- InterviewEp 10Jul 27, 20211h 6m
From YC darling to fundraising powerhouse (Vanta / Christina Cacioppo - Ep10)
- EpisodeJul 16, 20211m
Funded Season 2 Trailer
- InterviewEp 08Feb 16, 20211h 2m
Acting like a master fundraiser (Yac / Justin Mitchell - Ep08)
- InterviewEp 07Feb 2, 202159m
Confidence is KEY...I think? (Sora / Laura Del Beccaro - Ep07)
- EpisodeJan 21, 202120m
F&F Round: 2020 Funding Trends with Russ Heddleston of DocSend (FF01)
- InterviewEp 06Jan 19, 202147m
The Secret Science of Fundraising (Part 2 of 2 - Levels / Sam Corcos - Ep06)
- InterviewEp 05Jan 5, 202143m
The Secret Science of Fundraising (Part 1 of 2 - Levels / Sam Corcos - Ep05)
- InterviewEp 04Dec 22, 202048m
From rags to riches (Goodfair / Topper Luciani - Ep04 )
- InterviewEp 03Dec 8, 202056m
A different type of funding and a different type of "no" (Bite / Lindsay McCormick - Ep03)
- InterviewEp 02Dec 8, 202056m
Sex sells, but does it raise money? (Coral / Isharna Walsh - Ep02 )
- InterviewEp 01Dec 8, 202051m
How to tell a story worth $140 million dollars (Zumper / Anthemos Georgiades Ep01)
- EpisodeOct 15, 20201m
Coming Soon: Funded
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