Tell the story of the future to raise - 5 Startup Tips by Christine Outram

* This is a shortened version of our newsletter at Meet.Capital . Every week I interview startup founders, investors, and experts on our podcast, then share the insights and takeaways in our newsletter.

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This week I had the chance to record a podcast episode with the amazing Christine Outram , the CEO of the ed-tech startup Everydae. Christine is also a serial entrepreneur, was part of multiple exits, raised millions of dollars for her startups, and now devotes her weekends to sharing her experience with other founders through her excellent newsletter Startup with Christine .

Christine also agreed to join our team of startup experts, so you can now book a session with her on our startup experts page .

She also gave me 5 tips for startup founders raising capital.

Here they are:?

1. If you’re the CEO of an early-stage startup, beyond all of your tasks and responsibilities, think of yourself as a chief storytelling officer. Your job is to connect with investors and customers and tell a story that engages, delights and pulls people in.?

2. Appeal to both the heart and the head of your investors. You need to be able to convince your potential investors by providing a compelling rationale for why investing in you will pay off, and how you will win in your market or niche. That means knowing your numbers in and out. At the same time, you need to create an emotional bond to engage and excite your investors.

3. Clarify your message by simplifying your language. Clean out terms and phrases that sound vague or indecisive. An example of a word that is often used and should be eliminated from your copy, website, pitch deck, and messaging, is “help”. Instead of suggesting that your product or service “helps”, choose a decisive and clear outcome as your promise. Use assertive and direct wording to communicate your vision and offer.?

4. To raise money, you need to present a clear picture of your startup’s future. Present investors with a clear, focused vision of how you expect things to turn out, based on your current numbers and planned endeavors. Show your investors that you are leading the way to a definite goal and that you have a definite plan on how to reach it.?

5. Life's too short to be stressed all the time. It's okay to take your foot off the brake, take your foot off the accelerator when you need to, and also to put your foot on the brake a little bit as well. Spend time with your family and friends and enjoy the ride. To succeed in the long term, you need to maintain your energy and positivity.?

* Listen to our conversation on the MC Starutps Podcast , or on our YouTube channel .?

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