Before You Raise: the free guide to getting capital-ready
What to get right before you ask anyone for money, from someone who has prepared founders for 30+ private placements and taken 17 companies public.
What's inside
Whether to raise now, and the alternatives to equity
Who to raise from, and how to score and build your list
How much to raise, and what to sell: SAFE, note, common or preferred stock,or units
506(b), 506(c) and Reg CF, and how accredited verification works
The 10 questions every investor will ask, and the documents you need
A 16-point self-check and a plain-English glossary
18 pages. 2026 edition. Clients also receive Running the Raise, the companion guide to asking, launching, tracking and closing; it isn't available separately.
Joel Arberman has been an analyst at First Investors Asset Management and SunAmerica Asset Management, a partner at Yorkton Securities, a 700-person institutional investment bank, and the CEO of public companies. He has taken 17 companies public and prepared founders for 30+ private placements.
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Prefer to start reading now? What "investor ready" means and the 90-day preparation plan.