ROUNDDROP · FOUNDER GUIDE · FREE

The Pre-Seed Fundraising Playbook

From idea to wire in 12 weeks, checklists, workflows, and ready-to-use templates.

21-page PDF + 7 templates · No credit card · Want the paid Toolkit? →

Start here · 100% free

The Pre-Fundraise Prep, In One Place

This is the free Playbook, the strategy, the readiness scorecard, the diligence checklist, and the 7 prep templates that get you ready to raise. When you're ready to actually send SAFEs, run outreach, or hand investors a polished deck, that's what the RoundDrop Toolkit is for.

Who this is for

First-time founders raising their very first check. You've got an idea (and maybe a prototype) but you've never run a fundraise.

What's inside (free)

A self-assessment, a 12-week workflow, the full diligence checklist synthesized from 5 sources, and 7 prep templates.

What's in the Toolkit ($79)

Counsel-reviewed SAFE + convertible note, 12-slide Figma deck, outreach scripts, term sheet decoder, investor updates.

Definition check: Pre-seed is the earliest outside capital, usually $500K to $1.5M raised on SAFEs or convertible notes, often before revenue. Stripe puts the 2025 median pre-seed SAFE raise at about $700K. Plan to give up roughly 10–20% across the round.
Section 1 · Free

Should You Raise Now?

Score each of the five pillars from 0 (weak) to 2 (solid). Total is out of 10. The verdict at the bottom tells you what to do with the score.

1
Problem clarity
Specific buyer + painful job-to-be-done.
2
Solution credibility
Demo, prototype, or credible execution.
3
Wedge + why now
Narrow entry + timing reason.
4
Go-to-market path
One believable channel.
5
Round logic
Cash buys a 90-day milestone.
Your score
0 / 10
Score each pillar, 5 left.
Section 2 · Free

The 12-Week Timeline

Plan back from when cash needs to land. 8–12 weeks is typical; rushing earlier phases shows up as chaos in later ones.

The pre-seed fundraising timeline
Section 3 · Free

Build The Round So It Closes

Don't plan around a hero check. Plan a composition that still closes if your lead disappears.

Round composition

SAFE Math You Can Do In Your Head

Post-money SAFE math
🔒 In the RoundDrop Toolkit
The actual SAFE legal doc, counsel-reviewed
YC-style post-money SAFE (.docx), pre-cleaned and editable for Delaware C-Corps. Also includes the convertible note template + SAFE-vs-Note decision guide.
Get the Toolkit · $79 →
Section 4 · Free

The Diligence Master Checklist

8 categories, 50+ questions, synthesized from Gunderson Dettmer, Charles Hudson (Precursor), Carta, Evalyze, and StartUpNV. Check items off as you go, they persist locally.

8 diligence categories
Company formation0 / 4 done
Founders & people0 / 5 done
Equity & cap table0 / 5 done
IP & technology0 / 3 done
Finances0 / 3 done
Product, traction & market0 / 4 done
Section 5 · Free

Your Data Room, Folder By Folder

Mirror this in Google Drive, Notion, or DocSend. Track which investor has access.

Pre-seed data room structure
Section 6 · Free

Investor Pipeline (And The Math)

To close 10–15 checks you typically need about 120 well-targeted intros at the top of the funnel.

Investor pipeline funnel
🔒 In the RoundDrop Toolkit
The actual outreach scripts that fill this funnel
Cold open, warm intro, follow-up, the polite-no reply, and the 24-hour-after-meeting note. The exact words founders use to book 6 angel meetings in their first week.
Get the Toolkit · $79 →
What's where

Free Playbook Vs The Toolkit

Both work together. The Playbook gets you ready to raise. The Toolkit gives you the polished artifacts to actually do it.

For everyone

The Free Playbook

Free
forever, no credit card
  • 14-section playbook (PDF + interactive web)
  • 5-pillar readiness scorecard
  • 12-week fundraising timeline
  • 50+ question diligence checklist
  • 18-month financial model
  • Founder bios template
  • Customer references + LOI pack
  • IP & equity hygiene checklist
  • Data room index + tracker
  • Investor CRM + pipeline tracker
  • -Counsel-reviewed SAFE legal doc
  • -Convertible note + SAFE-vs-Note guide
  • -12-slide pitch deck (.pptx + Figma)
  • -5 investor outreach scripts
  • -Term sheet decoder
  • -Monthly investor update template
  • -Cap table model (Carta-ready)
Download the Playbook →
MOST POPULAR
Raise faster

The RoundDrop Toolkit

$79
$149
launch price
  • Everything in the free Playbook
  • Counsel-reviewed SAFE legal doc
  • Convertible note + SAFE-vs-Note guide
  • 12-slide pitch deck (.pptx + Figma)
  • 5 investor outreach scripts
  • Term sheet decoder
  • Monthly investor update template
  • Cap table model (Carta-ready)
  • Lifetime updates + one-time payment
Get the Toolkit for $79 →
Free templates · 7 included

Download The Free Playbook Templates

Drop your email and we'll send the full PDF + all 7 spreadsheets and docs. The 3 cards with the 🔒 are in the Toolkit.

TEMPLATE 02 .xlsx
Financial Model
18-month runway with assumptions, hiring plan, P&L, use-of-funds.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 04 .xlsx
Data Room Index
Folder-by-folder checklist with owner, status, last-updated, readiness rollup.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 05 .docx
Founder Bios
Structured prompts that draw out founder-market fit, not pedigree.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 06 .docx
Customer References & LOI Pack
Reference list, LOI template, permission script, ref-call question list.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 07 .docx
IP & Equity Hygiene Checklist
The corporate-hygiene checklist to walk before outreach.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 08 .xlsx
Investor CRM
Pipeline tracker with stages, owners, next-actions, live funnel rollup.
Download ↓
TEMPLATE 09 .xlsx
Diligence Master Checklist
50+ questions investors actually ask. Status, evidence, risk rating.
Download ↓
🔒 IN THE TOOLKIT
TOOLKIT .docx
Counsel-Reviewed SAFE
YC-style post-money SAFE legal doc, pre-cleaned and editable for Delaware C-Corps. Plus convertible note + SAFE-vs-Note decision guide.
Get the Toolkit · $79 →
🔒 IN THE TOOLKIT
TOOLKIT .figma
12-Slide Pitch Deck (Figma + .pptx)
Founder-tested deck with the 6 most common reasons investors pass. Editable in PowerPoint or Figma.
Get the Toolkit · $79 →
🔒 IN THE TOOLKIT
TOOLKIT .gsheet
Cap Table Model (Carta-Ready)
Pre/post-money rounds, SAFE conversion, option pool top-up. Plays nicely with Carta.
Get the Toolkit · $79 →
LAUNCH PRICE · $79 (WAS $149)

Ready To Actually Run Your Round?

The free Playbook gets you ready. The Toolkit gets it done, counsel-reviewed SAFE, 12-slide Figma deck, outreach scripts, term-sheet decoder, and investor updates.

Get the Toolkit, $79 →
Instant download · No subscription · One-time payment