The morning of February 26, 2020, Y Combinator is publishing a 70-page Series A guide based on its work with 190 YC companies over the last couple of years. It’s part of an initiative launched in 2018 to help these alums understand how Series A rounds work — and how to make them work to their advantage. The idea is that Series A rounds were understood on the investor side — that they are looking for ARR, plus profit, then comes funding. It’s entirely possible to raise a great story and no metrics, versus great metrics and no story. There’s a lot of preparation required; they advise against companies going out to market because of a false signal. They also explain how to work through a diligence request by an investor. It’s really important that founders ask instead about what the VC is trying to learn from the diligence request, then call those customers so they are ready. If YC can help companies build bigger companies and level the playing field, that’s just overall good for the rate of innovation in the world.  Read More >>