DocSend Newsletter - The Startup Index: September 15, 2023

This week, we’re excited to share expert tips on closing funds faster, and turning rejection into a successful raise.

Plus, done-for-you spreadsheet templates that save a ton of time during the due diligence process. We also share how companies are finding harmony in human/AI collaboration and how to sound more confident in video calls.

Close funds faster by sending SAFEs in DocSend

Finding a VC who’s genuinely interested in investing in your company can take quite some time. So when you do reach an investor who’s interested, you don’t want to be caught off guard on how to seamlessly manage the next steps. In our blog, we explain what simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) notes are, when (and why) you should use them, and where to blend them into an end-to-end fundraising process using DocSend.

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Founder and investor activity both dropped last week, as was expected following the Labor Day holiday. VC activity dipped by 7.09% and the average time on deck fell by 11.11% after spiking the week prior. Investor activity is up by 4% over the same time in 2021 (a much hotter market overall), suggesting that the upcoming “fall rush” may be a bit more active than anticipated.

Founder activity fell, as well, last week: it slid by 5.32% as was expected for the season. With encouraging data about the labor market and inflation coming in, founders and investors may be more optimistic about post-summer fundraising than we initially thought.

Check back to see if activity begins ramping up for the mid-/late-September rush.

5 ways to turn rejection into a successful raise

Rejection is one of the hardest parts of fundraising. As a founder, you’ll undoubtedly hear “no” far more than you’ll hear “yes,” and it can feel absolutely soul-crushing at times. Serial entrepreneur Max Fleitmann has faced rejection many times. Yet every rejection gave him an opportunity to get something else right the next time.

Check out his five tips for using rejection as a tool to improve your fundraising skills.

Recommended reads:

Finding optimism about the future of human/AI collaboration. Author Stephen Marche was an early adopter of AI as a writing assistant, but he wasn’t immediately sold on its potential. Check out the 11-year journey that transformed Marche from a skeptic into an advocate, and how he found harmony collaborating with a machine.
Expert tips to sound more confident on video calls. Claire Fry, veteran voice actor and vocal confidence coach, has built a business to help people find their authentic voice while working remotely. See how Fry applied her skills to launch a new business—one that helps individuals and teams learn the art of videoconferencing.
Speed up the due diligence process with our done-for-you spreadsheet templates. Download our industry-vetted capital table or financial forecast templates to start using instantly.