After reviewing 500+ pitches, I noticed one glaring pattern in Series A. Here is how the top 1% do it differently.
The Counterintuitive Truth
In Series A, the best practitioners often do less, not more.
The lesson: you need to move fast and break things. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
What I've Learned From 105 Companies
Across 234 angel investments, including Anthropic, a few patterns in Series A come up again and again.
The founders who handle Series A well understand that your team matters more than your technology.
The Reality Nobody Talks About
A lot of the advice on Series A rests on assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on.
The first thing to understand is that the market doesn't care about your roadmap. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.
Many teams spend months on the wrong path before realizing that simplicity beats complexity every time. Once they make the switch, everything changes.
Lessons From the Trenches
I want to share a few specific lessons I've picked up over the years. These aren't theoretical. They come from real companies, real failures, and real successes.
Lesson 1: The best time to start thinking about Series A was yesterday. The second best time is now. Don't wait until you have the perfect plan.
Lesson 2: Hire for attitude, train for skill. The best people at Series A are rarely the most technically gifted. They are the most curious and persistent.
Lesson 3: Your competitors are probably getting this wrong too. That's your opportunity. While everyone else is following the same playbook, you can zig when they zag.
This connects to broader themes around investor relations, revenue-based financing, SAFE agreements, pitch deck design, convertible notes that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Wrapping Up
I've shared a lot here, and I know it can feel overwhelming. But you don't need to get Series A right on day one. You just need to get started and keep improving.
Founders who do well at Series A tend to share one trait: they're relentlessly practical. They don't chase perfection. They chase progress.
That's the mindset I'd encourage you to adopt. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And keep pushing forward.
As always, I'm rooting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Are these recommendations still relevant in 2026?
Absolutely. While specific tools and tactics change, the underlying principles remain consistent. I update my thinking regularly based on what I'm seeing in the market and across my portfolio companies.
Q:How do I know which items apply to my situation?
Start by honestly assessing where your biggest bottleneck is right now. The items that address that specific constraint will give you the highest return on your time and energy.
Q:How were these items selected?
Each item on this list comes from direct experience, either from building my own companies or from patterns I've observed across the 234 startups I've invested in. I prioritize practical, actionable items over theoretical concepts.