Synopses & Reviews
Now that you have your big idea, how will you find and convince your first investor? You need a pitch deck, of courseand#151;the perfect set of slides to convince investors to back you and your venture. But a pitch deck isnand#8217;t merely a business plan put into PowerPointand#151;nor does a pitch deck magically turn into investor capital. Pitch decks are artifacts that communicate the vision and competence of the founder and can be used as part of an investor road show to raise capital.
In Get Backed, Evan Baehr and Evan Loomisand#151;two veterans of the start-up worldand#151;will show you how to create a compelling pitch deck and how to plan and execute a fundraising road show to garner financial support for your business.
Authoritative, instructive, and visually compelling, Get Backed will help you not only raise your first million but also think more clearly about your vision, your company, and your relationships.
Synopsis
Anyone who comes to pitch on Shark Tank should read this book first
Barbara Corcoran, ABC's Shark Tank
I have seen literally thousands of companies trying to raise capital and know that a great pitch deck is critical. This book gives you the playbook for creating yours.
Naval Ravikant, cofounder and CEO, AngelList
I raised twice the amount of money I set out to in a mere five weeks. I m naming my firstborn child after the Evans.
Slava Menn, cofounder and CEO, Fortified Bicycle
HOW DO YOU LAUNCH THE VENTURE OF YOUR DREAMS?
Get Backed isn t just about startup fundraising. It s a handbook for anyone who has an idea and needs to build relationships to get it off the ground.
Over the last 3 years, entrepreneurs Evan Loomis and Evan Baehr have raised $45 million for their own ventures, including the second largest round on the fundraising platform AngelList. In Get Backed, they show you exactly what they and dozens of others did to raise moneyeven the mistakes they madewhile sharing the secrets of the world s best storytellers, fundraisers, and startup accelerators. They ll also teach you how to use the friendship loop, a step-by-step process that can be used to initiate and build relationships with anyone, from investors to potential cofounders. And, most of all, they ll help you create a pitch deck, building on the real-life examples of 15 ventures that have raised over $150 million.
What s in the book?
The original pitch decks and fundraising strategies of 15 ventures that raised over $150 million
Email scripts that will get you a meeting with angel investors, venture capitalists, and potential board members
Pitching exercises developed by startup talent beds like Stanford University s d.school and Techstars
A breakdown of the 10 essential pitch deck slides, how to create them, and what questions you should answer with each
An overview of the 5 main funding sources for startups, the pros and cons of each, and who the big players are
A crash-course in visual and presentation design that will make any deck beautiful
Templates for 4 stories every entrepreneur should know how to tell
The story of one entrepreneur who showed up in Silicon Valley with no network and six months later had investments from Fred Anderson, Bono, and Peter Thiel
Get Backed will show you exactly what it takes to get funded and will give you the tools to make any idea a reality.
"
About the Author
Evan Baehr is cofounder of Able, a venture-backed financial services company helping fund the Fortune 5 Millionand#151;the millions of small businesses across the United States. Previously he was cofounder of Outbox, a venture-backed start-up aiming to disrupt the US Postal Service. Heand#8217;s run or supported capital campaigns raising hundreds of millions of dollars, including the second largest raise in angel-investor history, and worked for legendary investor Peter Thiel. Evan is also a Venture Partner with StartupRunner Capital. Evan Loomis cofounded and launched TreeHouse, the and#147;Whole Foods version of Home Depot,and#8221; a home-improvement store in Austin, Texas. He started his career on Wall Street as an investment banker and then as the COO of an angel investment group called Wedgwood Circle, a national angel investment group that seeks to inject goodness, truth, and beauty into the art and entertainment industries. Through these he raised millions of dollars from over thirty angel investors and venture capital firms. His newest venture is StartupRunner Capital, a venture that funds and builds early-stage companies with scalable, repeatable business models.