2026-04-02 · 8 min read
How to Evaluate a Pitch Deck in 2026
A practical framework to pressure-test startup decks before your first call, with specific checks for revenue, market, team, and execution risk.
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Due diligence playbooks for high-speed deal screening.
Practical guides for angel investors, VCs, and M&A analysts who need fast, verifiable pre-meeting intelligence.
2026-04-03 · 7 min read
Due Diligence Checklist for Angel Investors
A concise, high-signal checklist for evaluating startup opportunities without spending weeks on manual research.
Read article2026-04-04 · 9 min read
AI in Venture Capital: 2026 State of the Market
How VC teams are operationalizing AI for sourcing, triage, and portfolio support, and where the real edge still comes from human judgment.
Read article2026-04-05 · 8 min read
7 Signs a VC Is Lying in Their Pitch Deck
Most pitch decks contain at least one material misdirection. Here are the seven tells I look for before spending serious time on due diligence.
Read article2026-04-05 · 9 min read
How to Screen 100 Deals a Month as a Solo GP
The triage system that lets top solo GPs evaluate high deal volume without sacrificing decision quality — including the specific stack and workflow that makes it work.
Read article2026-04-05 · 8 min read
How to Verify a Startup Without Spending 10 Hours
The triage system that lets top solo GPs evaluate high deal volume without sacrificing decision quality — including the specific stack and workflow that makes it work.
Read article2026-04-05 · 8 min read
What Due Diligence Looks Like at Top Tier VCs
How Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Benchmark do their diligence — and what solo GPs and angels can learn from the top-tier process to build their own workflow.
Read article2026-04-05 · 10 min read
Top 10 Free Startup Due Diligence Tools (2026)
The best free tools for startup due diligence in 2026 — from competitor analysis to team verification to traffic intelligence. No subscription required.
Read article2026-04-05 · 8 min read
How to Do Competitor Analysis for Any Startup in 30 Minutes
A practical framework for analyzing startup competitors quickly. Learn how to identify direct and indirect competitors, assess market positioning, and spot gaps in your investment thesis.
Read article2026-04-05 · 9 min read
Cap Table Verification: What Every Investor Should Check Before Signing
A practical guide to verifying startup cap tables before making an investment. Covers common red flags, dilution calculations, and how to spot potential issues with founder equity.
Read article2026-04-05 · 8 min read
Signal vs. Noise: How to Read a Pitch Deck Like a Pro
Learn to distinguish genuine investment signals from pitch deck theater. This guide teaches you to identify inflated metrics, vague claims, and warning signs in startup pitch decks.
Read article2026-04-05 · 10 min read
The Only Startup Due Diligence Checklist You'll Need in 2026
A comprehensive due diligence checklist for startup investors covering product, team, market, financials, and legal verification. Save this guide for every deal you evaluate.
Read article2026-04-05 · 7 min read
My Solo GP Tech Stack: 12 Tools for Screening 100+ Deals a Year
The complete tech stack one solo GP uses to source, screen, and track startup investments. From deal flow management to due diligence, these are the tools that actually work.
Read article2026-04-06 · 10 min read
Term Sheet Decoder: What Every Founder Should Look For Before Signing
A practical guide to decoding venture capital term sheets. Understand dilution, liquidation preferences, anti-dilution protection, board control, and vesting cliffs before you sign.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
SAFE vs. Convertible Notes vs. Priced Rounds: A Founder's Decision Guide
Understand the key differences between SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced equity rounds. Learn when to use each instrument, pros and cons for founders, and what investors typically prefer at each stage.
Read article2026-04-06 · 9 min read
VC Red Flags: 12 Warning Signs Every Founder Should Watch For
Spot bad VCs before they waste your time and damage your reputation. From fake urgency tactics to term sheet traps, learn the warning signs that indicate a VC is not worth your time.
Read article2026-04-06 · 11 min read
The First-Time Angel Investor's Checklist: 20 Questions Before You Write the Check
Everything you need to verify before making your first angel investment. A practical checklist covering team, product, market, financials, and legal — with specific questions to ask founders.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
Market Sizing Done Right: How to Validate TAM, SAM, and SOM for Startup Investments
Learn how to properly evaluate market size claims in startup pitch decks. A practical guide to distinguishing credible bottoms-up analysis from fabricated TAM numbers.
Read article2026-04-06 · 10 min read
Startup Valuation Methods: A Complete Guide to Valuing Early-Stage Companies
Learn the 5 most common startup valuation methods — Berkus Method, Scorecard, Risk Factor, DCF, and Comparable Transactions. Understand when to use each, pros and cons, and how to negotiate valuation with real data.
Read article2026-04-06 · 9 min read
How to Negotiate with VCs: A Founder's Tactical Guide
Learn the 5 things you should negotiate hardest on with venture capitalists, plus tactics for term sheet negotiations, when to push back, and when to walk away.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
How to Check if a Startup is Legit: 15-Point Verification Checklist
Verify any startup before you invest. This checklist covers team verification, product legitimacy, financial claims, and legal status — with specific tools and questions to ask.
Read article2026-04-06 · 10 min read
The 25 Best Questions to Ask a Startup Founder Before Investing
The essential question set for investor-first calls with startup founders. Covers product, market, team, financials, and competition — with red flag responses and follow-up frameworks.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
The 5 Most Common Pitch Deck Lies (And How to Catch Them)
Learn to identify the most frequent pitch deck misrepresentations — from fake revenue to phantom customers. A systematic guide to catching the lies that matter most before you invest.
Read article2026-04-06 · 9 min read
Building Your Due Diligence Workflow: A Systematic Approach
Design a due diligence process that scales with your deal flow. This guide covers intake to decision — the right tools, time allocation, and framework for consistent investment screening.
Read article2026-04-06 · 9 min read
The Angel Investor's Guide to Deal Terms
Understanding standard investment deal terms for angel and seed stage. Covers pricing vs. non-pricing terms, what's market, what to negotiate, and how to read a term sheet as an angel investor.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
How to Verify a Startup's Revenue Claims
The practical guide to verifying startup revenue for investors. From Stripe data to bank statements to customer references — how to catch revenue inflation before you invest.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
Due Diligence on the Team: What Background Checks Actually Cover
The practical guide to verifying founder backgrounds for angel investors. Covers employment, education, legal records, and the patterns that signal risk before you sign.
Read article2026-04-06 · 8 min read
Solo GP Scaling: Managing Deal Flow When You Have No Firm
How solo GPs and smallCheck investors manage deal flow without a team. The tools, workflows, and processes that let you evaluate 100+ deals per year while maintaining quality.
Read article2026-04-06 · 7 min read
Building Your Investor Network: Strategic Relationships for Angels
How to build the investor network that makes you a better investor and opens deal flow. The strategic relationships, communities, and ecosystems that compound over time.
Read article2026-04-07 · 9 min read
How to Pitch Angels: A Founder's Guide to Angel Funding
The practical guide to pitching angel investors. From finding the right angels to crafting your pitch, handling due diligence, and closing your round.
Read article2026-04-07 · 8 min read
The Due Diligence Process: What Investors Actually Check
A practical guide to the investor due diligence process. What VCs and angels actually verify, how long it takes, and how to prepare as a founder.
Read article2026-04-07 · 8 min read
What VCs Actually Look For: The Real Startup Evaluation Criteria
Learn what venture capitalists actually evaluate when making investment decisions. The real criteria behind VC investment decisions — from market to team to traction.
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