First-time founders: what confused you most about raising your first round?

Hi Makers 👋

I’m Mohit. For 10+ years I’ve worked on M&A and capital raises, sitting with 750+ founders on one side of the table and 2,500+ investors on the other.

One thing keeps standing out. First-time founders usually need fundraising guidance the most, but they’re the least likely to get it. Most advisors only work with later-stage companies. So founders figure out SAFEs, dilution and term sheets alone, often after they’ve already signed.

I’m building a simple system to fix that. It explains how fundraising really works, step by step, from someone who’s seen both sides.

Before I build more, I’d love your honest input:

1. What confused you most the first time you raised, or thought about raising?

2. What do you wish someone had told you before your first investor meeting?

3. Would you pay for a structured kit with templates, models and frameworks, or do you prefer free content?

No pitch here. I’m here to listen. I’ll reply to every comment, and if your question is specific, I’ll give you a straight answer from what I’ve seen in real deals.