Fundraising

New VC fund managers do not know that these things they are doing are completely ILLEGAL There are very strict rules around fundraising. Yet many new GPs copy what they see others doing even when its illegal. The risk? Trouble today, or 510 years down the line when regulators or LPs look closer. Sophisticated LPs know the legal lines and crossing them exposes both liability and inexperience. Here are the 3 most common fundraising violations (and how to avoid them): 1 PERFORMANCE-BASED FUNDRAISING COMPENSATION Many Vendors often say: - Ill be a venture partner give me carry for LPs I bring. - Well raise for you just pay a % of capital committed. Illegal without a broker-dealer license ($50K$150K+ + ongoing compliance). Even employee bonuses tied to fundraising can trigger violations. Legal way: Pay fixed fees or salaries unrelated to fundraising. Compensate with cash, equity or carry but not tied to capital raised. Reality check: As a new manager, its extremely unlikely that anyone else can fundraise for you without a track record. Youll almost always need to do the hard work yourself. 2 GENERAL SOLICITATION New managers assume LPs will roll in if they go public. Tactics include: LinkedIn posts about fundraising Cold DMs to people Podcasts/webinars about your fund Contact us to invest buttons on websites All illegal unless youve structured under narrow exemptions. Even cold outreach counts as solicitation. Legal way: You can only pitch people you have pre-existing relationships with who are accredited investors. Network authentically, vuild relationships, then pitch one-on-one. Reality check: Public fundraising isnt just illegal it looks cheap. LPs wont trust someone blasting cold posts with no track record. VC is trust-based. Public asks scream inexperience. 3 RAISING FROM EU LPS WITHOUT COMPLIANCE Many assume: If a European LP wants in, I can accept the money. Everyone else does it must be fine. Wrong. The EU regulates under AIFMD (Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive) and MiFID II (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive). Even one EU LP can trigger filings. Regulators act quickly. Legal way: Work with EU securities counsel. File required notifications in each jurisdiction before accepting European LPs. Reality check: European LPs expect compliance. Skip it, and you lose credibility. Worse a violation can come back years later and jeopardize your fund. Breaking the rules even by accident is the fastest way to undermine your credibility. And everyone else does it is not a defense. The managers who win are the ones who know the rules, build real relationships, and raise the right way. Know the rules. Follow them. Your fund' future depends on it.

The real gap between digital leaders and laggards isnt just in technologyit's in mindset. The isnt about who has the best tools; its about who knows how to wield them. The difference between average and excellent isnt in the number of systems implemented but in the strategic intent behind them. True digital transformation isnt just an IT initiativeits a company-wide movement, a reimagining of whats possible when leadership, innovation, and agility align. : - : CIOs and CTOs leading the charge, with an inward focus on IT infrastructure. : Tracking efficiency and business performance without a broader view towards future capabilities. : Proceeding with digital steps without the urgency to outpace the evolving market demands. : Maintaining the status quo in operations, favoring predictability over agility. : Providing employees with collaboration tools without fostering a culture of digital innovation. : Concentrating on backend upgrades before considering the customer-facing aspects of the business. : Using data for routine business operations rather than as a cornerstone for transformation and innovation. : : Transformation championed by CEOs, integrating digital priorities within the companys vision. :Measuring success through the lens of innovation and digital proficiency. : Not merely adapting but actively advancing digital initiatives, even in challenging economic climates. : A culture that embraces operational efficiency as a path to competitive advantage. : Investing in employee engagement and digital literacy, recognizing that technology amplifies human potential. - : Prioritizing the customer experience with a strategy that adapts proactively to their needs and behaviors. - : Leveraging AI and data analytics not only to inform decisions but to foster a culture of continuous improvement. : https://lnkd.in/eU_Cc3ga ******************************************* Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends Ring the for notifications!

My team and I get pitched 510 new businesses every week. Mostly from entrepreneurs trying to raise money. If you want your message or pitch to stand out to investors, do this: 1. Start with the problem, not the product. If I dont feel the pain, I wont value the solution. 2. Be brutally clear. My team should understand your business in 10 seconds or less. 3. Show traction, not just vision. Even if it's small, show me that the market wants it and you know how to deliver. 4. Tell me why youre the one. Im investing in you as much as the idea. Show conviction, not just ambition. 5. Make it a conversation, not a monologue. Curiosity builds trust. Ask good questions and make it collaborative. Keep it simple.

Love this campaign by Stella. "Worth it" Playing off a familiar scene we all know. That claustrophobic bar. Enter "Claustrobar" You're crammed shoulder to shoulder... Getting bumped left and right. Then you get your first sip. Makes it all worth it. Or does it...? We're seeing the OPPOSITE trend for B2B events. Marketers want smaller more niche events. Think dinners with 15 to 25 people. ONLY the exact ICP they want. We just did our Q1 retro at The Alliance NEW Q1 EVENT DATA FOR YOU: Dinners under 25 people drove 3.4 times higher average pipeline per attendee than 200+ person field events Sponsor satisfaction scores were 27 points higher for private dinners vs traditional happy hours Events with personalized pre invite cadences had a 35 percent average acceptance rate among ICP targets Renewal rates on sponsor programs anchored around curated dinners hit 82 percent, compared to 58 percent for "open bar" events Thats why we're doubling down on niche events. Dinners and intimate VIP exeperiences. Why they worked so well: Step 1: ICP first targeting Every attendee list starts with sponsor aligned ICP firmographic filters: Company size, role seniority, industry fit, existing buying intent. Step 2: Personalized outreach Dedicated in house teams send direct invites framed around relevance. We track weekly acceptance rates and optimize touchpoints if we fall below 30 percent. Step 3: Pre event intel Sponsors get attendee insights two weeks before the dinner. They know which companies and titles are coming so they can plan the content PRECISELY for that audience to make it hyper relevant. Step 4: Structured conversations No loud music. No random crowds. Strategic seating charts and guided conversation topics aligned to the topics attendees and sponsors care about. This makes the experiences great for BOTH the company sponsoring and the attendees. Ends in a win win for everyone. Example for you: At our Austin dinner for a sponsor in Jan - 17 handpicked senior leaders attended - 76 percent of attendees booked follow up demos within 21 days - The sponsor sourced $3.2 million in net new pipeline which was 3.1 times their original goal TLDR Invest in more dinners

, % . % . ? . When I stepped in as CTO, it was clear that if our transformation was going to succeed, we had to improve execution. So, instead of chasing shiny tools or trendy models, we relentlessly focused on the basics. Heres my advice for anyone on this journey: 1 Standardization doesnt limit creativity it removes roadblocks. Certified pipelines, test plans, and frameworks eliminate chaos, helping teams deliver faster. 2 You need rules, but only enforce the no-regret ones. This gives teams the flexibility to innovate solutions for different regions or customers. 3 Take it step by step and front-load complexity. Doing everything in parallel or saving the hardest for last will result in gridlock and deflating surprises. 4 Tech teams know a lot, but the business knows best. Demand clear requirements so you can build what's needed... and not bridges to nowhere. 5 ' Theyre called digital transformations, but theyre really business transformations. Everyone not just tech must own it. There's always more to do, but weve made huge strides this year: Cut over four 40+ year-old mainframes to the cloud Migrated all North American mainframe pipelines to data fabric Closed data centers from Alpharetta to Australia Beat our all-time stability records Achieved our best-ever tech hygiene stats ?We wont be in the 95%. ?Were now seeing the transformation benefits we envisioned at the start: AI innovation, model precision, next-gen services, enhanced resilience, and more. . What are digital transformation lessons you've learned? Id love to know!

I've been asked a lot recently on podcasts how to evaluate and think about large sponsorships. At ClickUp, we had a strategic partnership with the San Diego Padres that was extremely beneficial from an activation perspective. Here are some key points on how it worked/ was structured: 1. Embedded Partnership: It was important for us to be as integrated into their ecosystem as they were in ours. Our agreement included them using ClickUp as their primary work management tool across several departments. This integration was beneficial in many ways, helping them to speak our language when building out assets and discussing different aspects of our sponsorship. 2. High-Quality Content: We brought our team on board and ensured we had almost unlimited access to tell their story alongside ours. Baseball has a rich history and underwent significant transformations during the pandemic and when everything reopened. We were alongside them for that journey and wanted to tell that story through high-quality content. 3. Fluidity: I dislike rigid agreements. Life and business are dynamic, and our agreements should reflect that. We structured our partnership to be as fluid as possible, allowing us to add assets ad-hoc and make real-time changes. This created a true two-way partnership where both parties were continually thinking about how to further utilize each other. In many ways, it was one of the best partnerships/sponsorships I've done in my career (and I've done a lot). When evaluating potential sponsorships, beyond market fit and target demographics, consider the type of relationship you want with your partners. Look for organizations that align with that visionit will pay dividends.

If you're a founder trying to fundraise right now, it probably feels like the entire venture world has gone quiet. The response times are slow, OOOs are on and its easy to feel like youre losing momentum. Don't stress. The summer slowdown is predictable, and it's not a setback, it's a gift of time if you use it well. I see this every year... The founders who scramble to send frantic emails in July/August are the same ones who struggle in the fall with an over-shopped deal and the fatigue of an endless fundraise. But the founders who use this quiet period for deep, focused preparation are the ones who run a crisp, successful process after Labor Day. The fundraising race is won in the prep lap. Here are a few things you can doright nowto prep for a big fundraising push this fall: 1. Build a High-Fidelity Investor Pipeline.Go beyond a simple list of names. Create a comprehensive document that tracks every firm and partner, their specific thesis, your history with them (if any), your connections to them and crucially, the feedback they've given you in the past. This turns your outreach into a strategic campaign. 2. Assemble a "Push-Button" Data Room.Don't wait for an investor to ask. Build your data room now so it's ready to go at a moment's notice. This includes your customer contracts, cohort analyses, deck, references and financial model. A well-organized data room signals professionalism and creates momentum. 3. Craft a "Juicy" Forwardable Blurb.The best introductions are easy to forward. Write a tight, compelling, one-paragraph teaser. It must include a unique insight on the market, why your team is going to win and any key metrics. This makes it effortless for people like me to advocate on your behalf. 4. Pressure-Test Your Narrative.Use this time to pitch trusted advisors, mentors, and other founders. This isn't about memorizing a script, it's about finding the weak spots in your story. Ask them to be ruthless. The tough questions you answer now in a friendly setting will save you in a rapid fire partner meeting later. 5. Get Your "Diligence" in Order.This is the one everyone forgets. Talk to your lawyer now. Make sure your corporate governance is tight and your cap table is accurate (and clean). Uncovering a messy problems during late-stage diligence can kill a deal. Solving it now is a massive de-risking event. 6. "Warm Up" Your References.Your best customers are your most powerful asset. Don't wait until an investor asks for a reference call to talk to them. Re-engage with your top 3-5 champions now. Check in, share your progress, and get them excited about your vision. A reference who is prepped and genuinely enthusiastic is infinitely more impactful. The fall fundraising season will be here before you know it. The work you do in the quiet of August will determine the success you have in the chaos of the fall. We are prepping for our next fundraise as well so this is how I'm spending my time

MCP vs A2A vs ACP vs ANP Lets start with the 'solutions', when to use which: Use when you want your model to be context-aware Use when your system needs multiple agents to collaborate, each with their own role and responsibility Use when your agents need to communicate, coordinate, or negotiate with structured intent Use when you want a scalable way for agents to discover and connect across a distributed system Now, time for their stories! (- ) In short, its a way to give LLMs a structured understanding of the world around them: who the user is, what tools are available, what memory to retain. Its context-as-code, not just context-as-prompt. (I shared more in my last post, Ill drop the link in the comments) -- This is about how multiple agents communicate with each other, not just the user anymore. Instead of one big model doing everything, you break the task into smaller parts handled by different agents. They take on roles, pass tasks, and coordinate to solve more complex goals. In most current systems, this is done through direct message passing, often one agent at a time, with fairly simple, turn-based logic. The structure is usually custom and manually defined, it's effective, but still early-stage. Thats why more standardization is starting to emerge, to make these systems more modular and scalable. ( ) This defines how agents talk to each other. Not just sending messages, but structuring intent: Is it a request, a proposal, or an update? What shared terms or logic do they rely on? ACP is like a shared language for agents, so they can collaborate, negotiate, and reason together. (- ) Now structure comes in. Not just in what agents say, but in how they connect. While A2A describes the idea of agents collaborating, ANP defines the transport: how agents discover each other, route messages, and coordinate across systems. Its the backbone that makes reliable, scalable agent communication possible. ****Theyre all : - MCP provides structured context - A2A enables role-based collaboration - ACP defines how agents communicate - ANP brings order to large-scale agent networks The layered design is what powers the most capable AI systems today: context-aware, action-taking, and agent-driven by design. If you are into building/learning Agents, don't miss this AI Agent hackathon for noncoders (with $5000 prize!): https://lnkd.in/dkdxyhD9 Youll choose a real public-sector challenge and use AI to create a practical solution. You wont be building a toy app. Youll build something you can demo. And defend. Before the hackathon begins, we run prep sessions inside GenAI.academy so youre not starting from zero. Have fun!

My salary barely stays with me! Most of it goes away in rent, outings and other expenses. I have heard so many people mention this almost every week. In India, where incomes can be unpredictable, a budget isnt just a good habit but a necessity. A simple budget helps you manage expenses smartly, save for the future and reduce financial stress. This is how you can do it right: Your salary isnt just whats credited to your bank account. Factor in side hustles, bonuses, deductions (PF, taxes), and expenses before setting your budget. The 50/30/20 Rule is a great starting point to manage your rent, groceries, utilities, dining out, savings and investments. If this feels unrealistic, tweak it. Where does your money go? Most people underestimate small expenses. Use a simple Google Sheet or budget app to track spending, then cut what doesnt add value. The easiest way to save is to remove temptation and set up automatic transfers to Emergency Funds, SIPs & Investments and Savings (Home, Travel, Business) Start with an emergency fund, clear high-interest debt (credit cards, personal loans) and invest in wealth-building assets (SIPs, PPF, NPS). Budgeting isnt about restricting yourself but financial freedom. A well-managed budget lets you spend guilt-free on things you love while securing your future. Whats your best budgeting tip? #budgeting #moneymanagement

Fundraising in India is a beautiful, brutal dance. After 15 years of knocking on doors, writing proposals, and building relationships in the charity space, I've learned that money follows trust, not just need. And trust is earned in whispers, not shouts. Most fundraisers think it's about the pitch. The perfect slide deck. The heart-wrenching story. The immaculate impact metrics. But that's just the costume you wear to the real party. The truth is messier. More human. More honest. First, nobody cares about your organization. They care about the problem you're solving. Stop talking about your NGO's journey and start talking about the journey of the people you serve. Your founder's story matters less than the story of the girl who can now read because of your work. Second, relationships outlast transactions. I've watched fundraisers chase cheques like they're chasing buses desperate to catch the next one, forgetting that the real journey happens when you're walking together. The donor who gives you 10,000 today could give you 10 crores in a decade if you treat them like a partner, not an ATM. Third, most Indian donors don't want innovation. They want reliability. They've seen too many NGOs come and go, too many promises evaporate. They're tired of funding pilots that never take flight. Show them consistency before you show them creativity. Fourth, your finance team is your secret weapon. In a country where trust in institutions is fragile, your ability to account for every rupee isn't just good practice it's your survival strategy. I've seen brilliant programs collapse because someone couldn't explain where the money went. Not because of corruption, but because of chaos. And finally, the hardest truth: fundraising isn't about money. It's about meaning. People don't give to causes; they give to become the person they want to be. The businessman who funds your education program isn't just building schools he's rewriting his own story, becoming the hero his childhood self needed. I've sat across from millionaires and watched them cry when they talk about their mothers. I've seen corporate leaders who manage thousands of crores struggle to write a personal cheque for 5,000. I've witnessed wealthy donors argue over a 500 expense while approving 50 lakhs in the same meeting. Because money isn't rational. It's emotional. It's cultural. It's complicated. The fundraisers who thrive in India aren't the ones with the fanciest degrees or the most polished English. They're the ones who understand that in this country, giving is deeply personal, profoundly spiritual, and incredibly relational. So stop treating fundraising like a Western import that needs to be implemented. Start treating it like what it is a conversation about values that's been happening on this soil for thousands of years. Because when you get it right, you're not just raising funds. You're raising hope.