Fundraising Is Sales: Reframing the Capital Raise with Aman Brar

For many founders, fundraising feels like wandering in the dark; reaching out to investors without structure, dealing with vague rejections, and always wondering if you’re doing it “right.” Aman Brar flipped that on its head: Fundraising isn’t an art. It’s a structured sales funnel.

Just like building a customer pipeline, you should be qualifying leads (investors), managing timelines (runway), and preparing collateral (deck, data room) that moves prospects toward a close. With this lens, founders gain back a sense of control. The key question becomes: What’s your close rate?

If you’re targeting $1.5M, how many conversations do you need to get there? What kind of investors are the right fit for your stage, sector, and growth plans? Are you logging and tracking investor touchpoints with the same rigor you use for sales prospects?

The 120-Day Fundraising Plan

Aman outlined a repeatable framework built around a 120-day fundraising sprint, working backward from your startup’s cash-out date. Why 120 days? Because that’s a realistic window to:

• Research and target the right investors
• Conduct warm intro outreach
• Schedule meetings and follow-ups
• Handle diligence and negotiate terms
• Close the round before you’re out of cash

It’s not about urgency. It’s about orchestration.

Here’s how the timeline breaks down:

• Day 1–30: Prepare materials and build target list
• Day 31–60: Start investor outreach and initial meetings
• Day 61–90: Diligence and negotiation
• Day 91–120: Close the round and wire funds

Every week counts. And if you don’t plan for the full arc of the raise, you’ll end up stuck in what Aman calls “The Death Zone” where cash is low, pressure is high, and investor confidence tanks.

Treat Investors Like Customers

A core insight from Aman’s talk was this: Your Ideal Investor Profile (IIP) should be treated like a customer persona.

Founders spend hours defining their ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). So why not do the same for capital partners?

Start by asking:

• What stage do they typically invest in?
• What check size fits your raise?
• Do they lead rounds or follow?
• What value (besides money) do they bring?
• Do they understand your market?

Build this into a real list not just mental notes. That way, you can focus energy on aligned targets and avoid wasting time on firms that were never a fit to begin with.

Build Trust Early and Consistently

Aman also emphasized the long game: Don’t wait until you’re raising to build investor relationships.

One of the best practices? Send monthly investor updates even before you’re actively fundraising.

Founders who get in the habit of documenting progress (metrics, wins, learnings, asks) build credibility over time. And if you know you’ll be raising later this year, start BCC’ing a handful of future investors on those updates now.

That way, when you reach out with a formal deck in hand, it’s not a cold intro it’s a continuation of a conversation.

Tactical Takeaways from Aman’s Session

✅ Reframe fundraising as a structured pipeline, not a one-time event

✅ Create a 120-day fundraising plan backward from your cash-out date

✅ Build your Ideal Investor Profile like a customer persona

✅ Begin investor updates before you need the money

✅ Think about your fundraising funnel metrics (open, conversion, close rate)

The Community Response

Founders in the room immediately clicked with Aman’s approach. Several commented on how refreshing it was to hear someone treat fundraising as a skill to build not just a “black magic” art. The Q&A turned into a tactical working session, with attendees asking about outbound strategies, intro etiquette, and how to balance fundraising with product work. This was more than a lecture, it was a moment of mindset realignment.