Cracking the Secrets to Raising Money

Although there are lots of different thoughts on what investors look for in their opportunities, the article below, posted by ReadWriteStart, does a great job of summarizing a recent presentation by Jeff Clavier, a well known investor:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2011/07/how-to-raise-investment-capital.php

A great quote from the article:

How does Clavier evaluate the startups that are pitching him? He says that he uses a “three ass rule.” “I look for a smart ass team, building a kick ass product, in a big ass market,” he said.

In short,

• People. The team is critical. This is what will determine the ultimate success or failure of a venture.
• Market. Make sure you have a market and a product that solves that market’s critical challenges.
• Stages. Know your stages of funding and match your company lifecycle to them so that you are asking for the appropriate investment at the appropriate time.