All Startup Founders are Delulu

Welcome back!

He gave a great 10-minute business speech yesterday. The only problem was it took him an hour to deliver it.

Today’s LOWDOWN: 😎 7.5-minute read time

• 🦾 All Startup Founders are Delulu

•  🤳 I love Blinkist's free trial paywall

• 💰 5 Lessons To Learn From Fundraising

• 🤖 Marketing Tool Spotlight: Sparkbase

• 🎧 Creating FOMO

• 📲 From Fuzzy’s TikTok Library

🦾 All Startup Founders are Delulu

@aistartupfren

All startup founders are delulu ✨ #aistartup #startupfounderlife #techfounder #femalefounders #techstartup

🤳I love Blinkist's free trial paywall

What's the #1 objection to signing up for a free trial?

“I'll forget to cancel and get billed indefinitely”

99% of sites sweep this under the rug. Blinkist handles it upfront. Maximum transparency.

Does it work? Lucky for us, they ran some A/B tests:

• 23% more trial signups

• 55% fewer customer complaints

• 6% to 74% increase in push notification opt-ins

Win! Win! Win! Sincerity sells.

Credit to the superb Jaycee Day who designed this and Growth Design (also superb) where I first read about it :)

💰5 Lessons To Learn From Fundraising

We just raised a $5M Reg CF, and I wanted to share some hard-earned lessons from the fundraising trenches—insights I believe will resonate with young founding teams.

For context, this is my 203 campaign over the last decade. Each company and raise has taught me something new, and here are five reflections I hope will help you on your journey:

1. Your first round will be messy.
Preparation is critical, but no amount of prep will save you from being blindsided by unexpected questions. Fundraising is a skill you hone over time—with lots of practice and reps.

2. Deep industry knowledge is your secret weapon.
The difference between my Seed and Pre-Seed rounds was night and day. By the second time around, I had a solid grasp of tools and the market landscape, which made me more confident and compelling during Q&A sessions. Investors notice when you know your stuff.

3. Think like an investor.
Ask yourself: If I were the one investing, what would I need to see to get excited? What objections might I have? The key is anticipating and proactively addressing those unspoken doubts during your pitch.

4. Rejection is inevitable—how you handle it matters.
It’s easy to lose steam after ten failed pitches, but every "no" is an opportunity to refine your approach. The best SaaS founders see rejection as a learning experience, not a reason to quit.

5. Fundraising is not for the faint of heart.
The process can be exhausting, and the road can feel endless. But remember, every so-called “overnight success” was years in the making. Perseverance isn’t just helpful; it’s essential in startups, significantly when raising capital.

Through all the ups and downs, I wouldn’t change a thing. The lessons you learn along the way are worth their weight in gold.

🤖Marketing Tool Spotlight: Sparkbase

Sparkbase.ai offers an AI-driven sales solution to enhance revenue growth through personalized outreach at scale. At the core of their platform is Cara, an intelligent AI sales agent that integrates B2B data with real-time signals from the web, news, and social media to initiate meaningful sales conversations.

Key Features:

• Sales Pipeline Development: Cara constructs sales pipelines by accessing trusted B2B data sources like LinkedIn and Apollo, integrating existing CRM data, and processing CSV uploads.

• Real-Time Lead Research: The AI agent automates complex research tasks, analyzing company websites, public news, and social media to uncover and verify buying signals.

• Personalized Campaigns: Cara crafts and executes tailored messaging, sequences, and workflows, ensuring communication reaches the right contacts at optimal times.

Pricing Plans:

Sparkbase.ai provides several subscription options to accommodate different business needs:

• Trial: Free access with 250 credits and one email account.

• Starter: Priced at $147 per month, includes 5,000 credits and one email account.

• Growth: At $297 per month, offers 10,000 credits and two email accounts.

• Scale: For $547 per month, provides 15,000 credits, five email accounts, and a dedicated account manager.

These plans are available monthly and annual billing cycles, with annual subscriptions offering a 20% discount.

By leveraging AI technology, Sparkbase.ai aims to streamline sales processes, enabling businesses to engage effectively with potential clients and drive revenue growth.

🎧 Creating FOMO: The Secret Sauce for Startup Fundraising

Quote of the Week 🤔

📲 From Fuzzy’s TikTok Library

@venzelwenzel

We discuss the importance of marketing in a successful equity crowdfunding campaign. The key is to focus on building your brand, outreach,... See more

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