Due diligence goes both ways: choosing investors who'll actually help
After weeks (maybe months) of pitching, you finally hear it. An investor says yes. Your instinct is to say yes back, fast, before they change their mind.
That instinct might be the problem and nobody tells founders this. You are allowed to be picky about whose money you take. Cash from someone who ghosts you after the round closes isn't the same as cash from someone who picks up the phone when you're stuck. The bank transfer looks identical either way but what comes after it doesn't.
Join Charles Hope, founder of Your Startup Advisor, for a practical session on researching investors properly before you sign anything.
We'll cover how to read the signals, ask the right questions, and understand what comes with the money
Does it come with a network, real expertise and a shot at follow-on funding, or just a board seat that gets in the way later?
Who this is for
Founders who are raising now (or about to start) and want to walk into investor conversations knowing what to look for, not just what to say.
What you'll walk away with
A clear method for researching an investor before a first call, not after you've signed the term sheet
The specific signals that tell you whether an investor adds value beyond capital
Questions to ask investors that most founders are too grateful, or too nervous, to ask
A framework for deciding when to walk away from money that isn't worth the strings attached
About Charles Hope
Charles has built four companies himself, including two B2B SaaS businesses, a marketplace and an agency, both bootstrapped and funded, so he's sat on both sides of the investor conversation for over 14 years. He's mentored more than 700 founders through programmes on five continents, and the founders he's worked with have raised over $200M between them. He's known for giving straight answers instead of generic advice, so expect specifics, not platitudes.
This is the third session in SeedLegals' Founder Growth Rooms series with Charles, following "Validating your idea is not customer discovery" and "How to get your first ten customers with no budget, no brand and no sales team."
Register now and stop treating every yes from an investor as the finish line. It's the start of a relationship you get to choose too.