Module 11 · The fundraising deck~23s dwell · weight 12
Financials / Ask
State the raise, the use of funds, and the milestones it buys. Close with a clear call to action.
Include
- Amount raising + round type (SAFE, priced) + lead status
- Use of funds in 3–4 buckets (team / GTM / infra)
- Milestones the raise buys over 18–24 months
- The specific ask: intros, next meeting, term sheet timing
Cut
- Hockey-stick projections with no assumptions
- No specific ask at all
- Ten years of spreadsheet detail on the main slide
- 'Raising $X at $Y valuation' without any milestone framing
Red flags a reader notices
- No dollar amount or timeline
- Milestones untethered from the amount raised
- Runway math missing (implied burn)
Pitfalls behind them
- The amount is stated but the runway it buys is not.
- Use of funds is a percentage pie with no link back to the story slides.
- The 'ask' asks for nothing specific, no meeting, no intro, no close date.
60-second self-test
- · Does the milestone name the metric the next round will price off?
- · Is there a specific next step (first close date, intro request) the reader can act on this week?
Template
Raising $[X] to reach [milestone] in [N] months. Use: [%] team, [%] GTM, [%] infra. Runway: [M] months.
Weak
"Raising a round to accelerate growth and capture market share."
Strong
"Raising $2.5M seed to reach $1.8M ARR at 8% MoM in 18 months. Use: 55% engineering (4 hires), 25% compliance + licenses (12 new countries), 20% GTM (founder-led + 1 AE). 20 months runway. First close in 6 weeks."
Amount, milestone, breakdown, runway, and a timeline the reader can act on, the same numbers Nimbus's ask slide commits to.
Quick quiz
Pick an answer. Nothing is graded, and correct answers stay hidden until you choose.
1. The ask slide should tie the amount to…
2. A strong ask closes with…