The best advice I ever got about 7 things i learned after raising our series a came from a founder who'd failed at it three times.
Most advice on referral programs is outdated. I'm sharing the exact, behind-the-scenes playbook we used to achieve profitability, including the mistakes that cost us thousands and the lessons that made us millions.
What I've Learned From 73 Companies
After investing in 200+ startups and running two companies to successful exits, I've developed a pretty clear picture of what works with 7 things i learned after raising our series a.
The biggest misconception is that you need to your team matters more than your technology. That's backwards. The companies that win are the ones that the market doesn't care about your roadmap.
I remember sitting with the Anthropic team early on and discussing how they thought about 7 things i learned after raising our series a. Their approach was counterintuitive but brilliant.
Why Most Approaches Fail
Let me be direct: about 70% of the approaches I see to 7 things i learned after raising our series a are fundamentally flawed. Not slightly off. Fundamentally flawed.
The root cause is usually one of three things:
- Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
- Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
- Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.
The AI Angle
I can't talk about 7 things i learned after raising our series a in 2026 without mentioning AI. As someone who's invested in Anthropic, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Hugging Face, I have a front-row seat to how AI is transforming this space.
The short version: AI makes good practitioners better and bad practitioners worse. It's an amplifier, not a replacement.
I've seen companies use AI to 10x their 7 things i learned after raising our series a capabilities. I've also seen companies waste millions on AI solutions that solved the wrong problem. The difference comes down to understanding what you're actually trying to achieve.
This connects to broader themes around viral loops, retention strategies, community-led growth, SEO for startups, product-led growth that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
What's Next
The world of 7 things i learned after raising our series a is moving fast. What worked last year might not work next year. That's both the challenge and the opportunity.
My advice: stay curious, stay humble, and stay close to the people who are actually doing the work. Read less thought leadership and do more experiments. Talk to fewer consultants and more practitioners.
And if you're a founder building in this space, remember that the best time to get 7 things i learned after raising our series a right is before you need to. Don't wait for a crisis to force your hand.
I'll keep sharing what I learn. This stuff matters too much to keep to myself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which items apply to my situation?
Start by honestly assessing where your biggest bottleneck is right now. The items that address that specific constraint will give you the highest return on your time and energy.
Are these recommendations still relevant in 2026?
Absolutely. While specific tools and tactics change, the underlying principles remain consistent. I update my thinking regularly based on what I'm seeing in the market and across my portfolio companies.
Which item on this list has the highest impact?
It depends on your stage and context, but in my experience, the items near the top of the list tend to have the broadest applicability. That said, sometimes the less obvious items create the biggest breakthroughs for specific situations.