Smart Fund Raising Tips from Sasha Mirchandani

• Team (Ideally a well balanced team)
• Market Size
• Key Differentiators or Unfair Advantage
• Clear Exit Path
• Capital Efficiency

These points, Sasha himself agreed to be very cliched and probably what most experts would suggest but inspite of this, it remains important to mull over these points in your fund raising process. And beyond this, following points are somethings you wouldn't hear often. How you reach out to a VC also makes a big difference on leaving an impact. So, how do you do this?

• Always approach a VC through a highly creditable reference
• Ideally, do not send the presentation untill you meet the VC
• Don't approach the top 2-3 VCs in your list first. Gather feedback
• Try and make sure you're dealing directly with the decision maker
• Be ready to hear a NO, move on!

Coming from one of the pioneering VCs in India, these points are worth having in the check list for any entrepreneur looking to raise funds. Read a detailed interview with Sasha Mirchandani.