What early-stage founders need to know: A conversation with the VCs backing them
Oct 14, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Raising your first round is a black box. Founders don't know what VCs want, VCs don't know how founders think. The result: misaligned conversations, rejected pitches that should have won, and money left on the table. In this session, a practising seed investor and an early-stage founder break open the playbook. They share the patterns VCs see across 100+ pitches, the founder mistakes that feel obvious only in hindsight, and the non-obvious things that move conviction at the seed stage — from storytelling to cap table hygiene to the relationship between co-founders. Essential for any founder preparing to pitch, and for angels and micro-VCs learning to back founders at the earliest stage.
