Crack the Funding Code: How Investors Think and What They Need to Hear to Fund Your Startup

289 Pages·2016·6.47 MB·English

by  Judy Robinett

™
Praise for Crack the Funding Code
“Judy Robinett nails it with Crack the Funding Code! Her decades of experience
and knowledge show brilliantly in this guide to startup funding. But more than
just funding—she provides sound advice beyond funding. Her ‘Nine Numbers’
are the map to attracting, acquiring, engaging, and ultimately satisfying
investors. Read this, have everyone on your team read it, follow the advice, and
you will succeed. Wisdom like this is priceless.”
—COLIN MCCLIVE,
director, U.S. insurance industry, Microsoft “Judy is one of the most connected
people that I know. She has taken the art of making valuable connections to the
next level—whether that be in support of the entrepreneurs who she works with
or the nonprofits that she endorses. Part of her magic is that she treats every
relationship like it’s the most important one—always making sure that the
introductions that she makes have the potential to be mutually beneficial.”
—CINDY PADNOS,
founder and managing partner, Illuminate Ventures “Judy’s experience and
expertise make her one of the most important advisors to entrepreneurs,
investors, and executives in the global knowledge economy. For anyone
interested in building, growing, or leading a great company, this book is an
incredibly valuable resource and ‘no-nonsense’ guide for protecting a startup
from self-sabotage.”
—DAVID DESHARNAIS,
senior VP and general manager, American Express “Judy seems to know
everyone, but more importantly is genuinely helpful to others and has created a
massive network of people who can fund great opportunities.”
—WILL BUNKER,
founding partner, GrowthX
“You had a great idea, assembled a remarkable team, and have worked like dogs
to make your dreams happen. You have everything you need, except the funding
to turn your hard work into the results you crave. That is where Judy Robinett
comes in. She has a long track record of bringing big funding dollars to
deserving startups. You created the spark—let Judy help you set it ablaze.”
—LEO HOPF,
author of Rethink, Reinvent, Reposition: 12 Strategies to Make Over Your
Business “Judy’s skill and energy are amazing! She effectively connects with
companies that need funding, introduces them to the professionals who can help
them groom their business for funding, and then introduces them to the investors
most likely to provide the funding.”
—REGINALD HUGHES,
CFO and business plan writer
“Judy Robinett is an individual who truly embodies the concept of adding value,
always, wherever she goes. Any book, show, or presentation by Judy—I’m
there, and I’ve never been disappointed. Even the launch party for Judy’s first
book was not about ‘Judy,’ but brought in thought leaders from far and wide for
a star-based panel, which she joined. When it comes to authentic thought
leadership, Judy is one of the best.”
—CHERYL SNAPP CONNER,
founder and CEO, SnappConner PR
“I have known Judy for several years and found her to be very effective at
helping businesses understand the startup fundraising landscape, how to raise
capital, and how to position their businesses to scale.”
—PAUL GROSSINGER,
cofounder, Gaingels Syndicate
“Investors choose to fund founders they trust, like, and know. Nobody is better
than Judy Robinett at giving people a step-by-step, proven process to get people
to trust, like, and know you. No matter what your industry is, Judy’s principles
of cracking the funding code will get you funded fast.”
—JOHN LIVESAY,
author and podcast host, The Successful Pitch “Judy Robinett is a force to be
reckoned with. She has amazing energy and is a people connector everywhere
she goes. In the world of rapidly evolving business models and accelerated
innovation, the most likely disruptor to an existing business is increasingly not
the traditional competitor, but one that blindsides its competition. Judy
recognizes the importance of funding ideas and companies in this ever-changing
environment and provides actionable steps for individuals to secure funding. The
future is waiting for new ideas, new companies, and new competitors. Judy has
helped so many already write their destiny, and this book will help even more
people. Well worth the read!”
—RACHEL MUSHAHWAR,
tech industry executive
“As an entrepreneur, Judy Robinett does the hard work of turning ideas into
businesses. First she tells us to describe why our idea, our dream, is worthy.
Then she guides us to the funding that will make our dream come true. In Crack
the Funding Code, Judy shares funding tips and lessons. She inspires us to
persevere and turn potential losses into victories.”
—L.J. RITTENHOUSE,
candor expert and author of Investing Between the Lines “Robinett knows better
than most the true power that lies in connecting. Throughout her extensive and
impressive career, she’s networked her way to become the ‘woman with the
platinum Rolodex’ and, with her new book, Crack the Funding Code, she gives
excited entrepreneurs and innovators her years of experience wrapped in a road
map to raising capital for their ideas and new business ventures. And with the
wealth of private funds available globally to these individuals, her direction and
insights could not be more important for today’s business success.”
—JOHN RUHLIN,
author of Giftology, founder and CEO of the Ruhlin Group

© 2019 Judy Robinett All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—
except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
Published by HarperCollins Leadership, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Book design by Elyse Strongin, Neuwirth & Associates.
Epub Edition December 2018 9780814439845
ISBN 978-0-81443984-5 (eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018960960
ISBN 978-0-8144-3983-8
Printed in the United States of America 18 19 20 21 22 LSC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To all the entrepreneurs who wish to make the world better:
Bless you! Above all, persist in good times and bad.
Everything you need is out there. Go after it.