Hey - it’s Jason Yeh 🕺🏻

This is my Friday recap of thoughts I’ve had while helping founders solve their fundraising challenges this past week (4.15.22)

If you have any questions, please reply! I try to get to every comment/question I receive :)

On to the Fieldnotes for 4.15.22…

The large impact of small actions

You never know the outsized effects that seemingly small decisions can make. It’s an important lesson to learn.

In late 2020, I was only a few months into building my company Adamant when a friend of mine introduced me to the founder of a new program for entrepreneurs in Latin America. The organization had barely gotten started, but they had admitted their first cohort of entrepreneurs and were looking for speakers to help conduct workshops that would support their companies. 

My focus on fundraising was a perfect fit so they were excited to invite me to speak. My first thought was “I’ve never heard of this founder / program before” and “Latin America is not a focus area for me.”

Despite that, I decided to accept the invitation. I thought, “Why not?”

A few weeks later, I hosted an hour-long workshop on setting up an effective fundraise. The crowd was small but full of super energetic, engaging founders. More importantly, it was really fun!

I walked away from it feeling really satisfied and happy I helped. Incidentally, this is why I enjoy my work so much. Whether or not I spend my time on something huge or something tiny, I always feel great. 

This one definitely fell into the tiny category. I didn’t expect it to amount to anything, but that was OK with me.

“Why not?” - > “OH that’s why!”

Coincidentally, a month before that small workshop, I launched my podcast Funded. At the very end of my talk, I mentioned that I had launched a podcast and encouraged the founders to check it out.  Again, I didn’t think this would amount to anything except for maybe one or two listens.

Fast forward to today, a year and a half later… that small program whose initial cohort I spoke in front of has now done five cohorts and become well known as the growing YC / On Deck of Latin America AND recently closed an $11.5MM round led by a16z and NFX. It's called Latitud and is run by the impressive founding group of Brian Requarth, Gina Gotthilf, and Yuri Danilchenko. 

That initial fun, little workshop turned into repeat invitations to speak for successive cohorts.  As Latitud’s profile has grown, so has mine with more and more founders from LATAM learning about my work.

I've since been able to help a number of founders in Latin America, my podcast Funded now does quite well in Brazil / Latin America, and I have a pretty good guess for why that is. 

A small decision early on to accept an invitation from an unknown program became a turning point for my business.

This is an important lesson that can be applied to fundraising as well. 

(continue reading...)

Smart Twitter Takes

Yes. It is so hard to understand something deeply that you've never done before. I can only do what I do now having been a founder before...

Agreed. An advisor has to be SUPER involved and REALLY impressive to make it into your deck

Till next week. Stay adamant and be chased.

Jason

P.S. This is 100% me. I always want to bring them but never remember… 😂

In case you missed it…

Last week's post dived into cold email psychology and how to leverage it:

Small asks!

If you thought this was helpful or enjoyable in any way, I’d love for you to:

• Share this newsletter with others who would enjoy it using your referral link above

• Follow me on Twitter where I’ve begun building in public (my course, my podcast, etc)!

• Ask me your fundraising questions so I can help you and cover them in a future issue

• Listen with a friend to Funded, my podcast that tells the rollercoaster stories of how founders raised millions (and subscribe🙏)

Feedback Time!