From Hope to Promised Money: A Smarter Way to Plan Your Next Fundraising Round

6 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this concise instructional monologue, Leon Eisen, PhD, advises founders to restructure their fundraising planning by first securing written commitments from existing investors who hold board seats or significant stakes. He recommends asking each such investor two precise questions: the exact amount they will invest and whether they will increase their ownership share, as well as whether they would lead the round if a new investor sets the price. After gathering these written answers, the founder creates a short list of potential new investors. If an existing investor declines, the founder should ask what conditions would change their mind. This approach shifts the fundraising narrative from uncertain hope to concrete, promised capital.

Chapters

Picture a founder planning her next round. Before she meets anyone new, she calls every current investor with a board seat or a real stake. She asks 2 questions: How much exactly will you put in, and will it be more than your current share? And if a new investor sets the price Will you lead the round with them? She gets both answers in writing. Only then does she make a short list of newer investors. If a current investor says no, she asks what would have to change for them to say yes. Now she starts with money already promised, not hope.