investors

Founders Fund

The San Francisco venture firm's site and essays on what it funds and why — a free window into how investors actually think about startups.

From the site: Founders Fund is a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies.

Why I recommend it: Read their essays before pitching anyone. It tells you what investors are listening for.

Speed Pitch: Guaranteed 1:1 Meetings With Investors

The fifth edition of The Startup Station's Speed Pitch in New York: 36 startup spots, each matched into guaranteed one-to-one meetings with investors instead of the usual keynote-and-mingle format. Confirmed funds include New York Ventures, New York Bay Capital, Hexa-AI, Vamos Ventures, Gaingels, Yan Ventures, Lightscape Partners, Valued Ventures, BuenTrip Ventures, Zavo Ventures and Ensemblex Venture. Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 4:30–8:30 PM; registration is by host approval and closes October 15. Investors apply through a separate link.

Details: Guaranteed meetings are rare — come with a two-minute version of your pitch and a clear ask, because 1:1 slots here are short.

In The Ecosystem with Mike

Interview show hosted by Mike Cortez where founders, investors, and ecosystem builders discuss raising capital, scaling ventures, and how regional ecosystems like Atlanta and the Southeast fuel innovation.

Why I recommend it: Regional ecosystem shows tell you who the local money and mentors actually are. Listen, then reach out to a guest.

A Guide to Raising Venture Capital

What investors expect at each stage, how terms and valuations work, and how to prepare a raise in the current funding climate.

From the site: Great ideas from dedicated teams can find solutions, yet breakthroughs can fail due to the one resource needed to propel growth: money.

Why I recommend it: Read this before you assume you need VC. Most of the businesses I mentor are better off with revenue, grants, or an SBA loan.

Pitch Deck Lessons + GitHub Samples

Two pitch decks compared side by side: Airbnb's 10-slide deck that raised $600K, and Fyre Festival's deck, whose company later faced fraud charges, plus sample GitHub work to use as a model for your own portfolio.

In plain terms: This guide compares successful and failed pitch decks from Airbnb and Fyre Festival alongside real GitHub profiles. You can use these examples to learn how to present business ideas clearly and structure your own technical portfolio.

Why I recommend it: One idea per slide. Problem, solution, evidence. Decoration never closed a round.