Field notes
Writing for founders
who build real things.
Essays on fundraising mechanics, deal infrastructure, and the discipline of capital efficiency.
The Silent Deal Killers: 4 Pitfalls Sinking Angel & Seed Rounds in 2026
The funding winter has thawed into a funding filter. Investors aren't rejecting metrics — they're rejecting messy infrastructure. The four pitfalls quietly killing Seed rounds today.
The "VDR Tax": Why Bootstrapped Founders Should Demand Pricing Transparency
Legacy data rooms bury costs behind sales calls. For bootstrapped founders, opaque pricing isn't just annoying — it's a runway risk. A field guide to evaluating deal infrastructure.
The Reverse Due Diligence: 5 Questions Founders Must Ask Investors in 2026
VC is a 10-year marriage with no divorce. Move beyond being grateful for the check — five questions to put your prospective lead investor in the hot seat before signing.
The Ghost in the Machine: Why Builder.ai's $445M Collapse is the Ultimate Lesson in Governance
Once valued at $1.3B and backed by Microsoft and QIA, Builder.ai's bankruptcy is a sobering lesson in what happens when founder wizardry outpaces internal infrastructure.
The Efficiency Playbook: How Vanta's Fundraising Success Defined a New Era of Diligence
Vanta's rise is the blueprint for the modern, high-velocity fundraise. A masterclass in operational excellence and how to make 'yes' the easiest thing an investor does all year.
Beyond the Pitch Deck: How a Virtual Data Room for Startups Wins Deals in a Down Market
Capital is still available, but scrutiny is higher than ever. Investors aren't just looking for vision — they want de-risked execution. How a VDR signals institutional readiness.
Inside CoreDataRoom: A Video Walkthrough for Founders
A guided tour of how CoreDataRoom helps founders run a tighter, faster, more institutional fundraise — from setting up your first room to tracking investor behaviour.