Domain · Pre-raise preparation

What it covers

Getting ready to run an active raise — materials, positioning, metrics, target list. Done well, this compresses the active raise phase significantly.

Operations

Materials preparation operation

Decision to raise → deck drafted → data room populated → financial model built → cap table current → materials peer-reviewed before first investor sees them.

Positioning operation

Market thesis articulated → competitive framing sharpened → narrative tested with a small trusted group → refined.

Metrics pack operation

Current numbers pulled → honest interpretation written → pack ready for NDA-level sharing.

Target investor list operation

Target list enriched → sequenced (warm-up targets first, top targets in the middle, "would-accept" backstops last) → warm intros identified.

Notes

The discipline here is starting before there is urgency. Pre-raise work done under runway pressure is visibly worse than pre-raise work done deliberately.