Getting ready to raise?

The Studio is designed to meet the needs of early stage (seed and series A) founders who want to be *extremely intentional* about their fundraising strategy, have at least 8 weeks to prepare, and are willing to devote 3-5 hours/week to preparation as a top priority before scheduling meetings.

The best candidates for the Studio believe strongly in their product or vision, but struggle when it comes to getting others to see things with the same clarity and conviction they do --especially when those 'others' are intimidating white men with cartoonish dollar signs where their eyeballs should be. (Isn't this how everyone pictures investors? I swear, they're not all like that!)

If you're not sure you can devote the time and energy required to up-skill your communication -- or if you're not willing to unlearn some of what you've been taught -- the Story Studio is likely not right for you. 

1. Clarity on your personal "founder story"

2. Optimal narrative flow of investor pitch

3. 'Impact' & 'Product Demo' stories 

4. Answer strategies for tough FAQ's

5. "Straw" pitch decks (v.1 send-ahead and v.2 talkover) to guide branded deck development

6. Conversational pitch readiness

7. Increased confidence, conviction and charisma when in the room with investors 

Many pitching approaches emphasize a "problem/solution" opening and a logical flow through the information an investor will require when vetting the opportunity.

This leaves you vulnerable in multiple ways: Not only do you sound just like *everyone else* who ever googled "Y combinator pitch format" (or asked Claude to format it for you), but you're also setting yourself up to engage your audience only through the prefrontal cortex: that super judgey, yes/no, agree/disagree, like me/not like me, knee-jerk rational critic in all of us.

Which means you're barely out the gate, and you're already at a disadvantage!  

Instead, Story Studio will show you how to break the script and command authority right off the bat; how to enter the investor brain through the "side door" of the imagination; and how to take them on an *emotional* journey (buttressed by the relevant data) that will have them nodding YES from beginning to end.  

[Remember: humans feel first, and think second. If you're not constructing your pitch with neuroscience in mind -- maybe rethink it?]

On top of this, you'll get the kind of clarity and confidence that can only come from diving into your personal story, so that you can pitch from a place of genuine conviction and grounded authority (rather than performing whatever it is you *think* they want to hear). 

Plus, aside from your formal deck-assisted pitch, you'll also learn how to pitch in *conversation* format -- ensuring that you can take maximum advantage of every opportunity, on the spot and wherever you are, with OR without your deck.

I could go on and on -- but if you want to learn more, just book a discovery call and I'll tell you all about it! 

The Studio is a highly customized and accelerated coaching and design sprint, for which investment is assessed on a sliding scale with reference to several factors, including the target raise amount. Note that the investment rarely exceeds 0.5% of the amount you're looking to raise!

My clients and graduates of the Story Studio have collectively raised over $235M in VC and institutional funding. And boy did it feel good doing it! 

While we don't offer discounts on the standard Story Studio offering, there are many ways to play with scope, process, and deliverables to justify a smaller investment. If you are a great candidate for the Studio and money is the only barrier, we can usually find a way to make it work for all parties.

Yes! Book a discovery call and we can assess fit and discuss options. 

Yes! Fundraising tends to be the urgent need that brings founders to my House of Story, but once you've gotten a taste of what's possible, you start to see applications everywhere. 

Feel free to book a virtual coffee to learn more about how we can partner toward your immediate and/or longer term goals as a founder. 

Yes! Pitches (and stories) come in many forms; while the Studio container is best for founders pitching investors, a 1-1 coaching partnership has more flexibility to meet you (and your audience) where you are inside of universal story principles. Feel free to book a virtual coffee to explore options.