Fundraising Mistakes Startups Make: Decks, Valuation, Pitching & Tier-2 Challenges | Devang Mehta

In this Dawdle.live episode, we sit down with Devang Mehta, a seasoned investor, advisor to VC funds, angel investor and Carnegie Mellon alumnus. With 25+ years of experience across Silicon Valley, venture capital and early-stage advisory, Devang breaks down the real reasons founders struggle with fundraising — and how to avoid these pitfalls.

This is a must-watch conversation for founders, early-stage teams and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to raise capital the right way.

🎯 What You Will Learn in This Episode

✔ What a powerful pitch deck MUST include
✔ Why most decks fail (and rookie mistakes to avoid)
✔ How to articulate your vision in a way investors understand
✔ Why many founders don’t “communicate” even when they speak well
✔ Fundraising challenges for Tier 2 & Tier 3 founders
✔ How to build investor connections without pedigree or networks
✔ Why startups should NOT raise money before building an MVP
✔ The truth about early-stage valuations
✔ Corporate hygiene: financials, ESOPs, founder agreements, IP
✔ Why emotional maturity and preparation make a huge difference
✔ How to pitch like a professional & avoid rejection patterns
✔ How investors evaluate founders during conversations

Devang offers practical insights founders rarely hear in public forums.

⏱ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
00:29 – Who is Devang Mehta?
01:00 – Why founders feel rejected during fundraising
01:36 – How Devang supports startups in fundraise strategy
02:32 – Why a deck must come after a product
03:11 – Common pitch deck mistakes
05:24 – What a good deck really looks like
06:45 – Why articulation - English fluency
07:47 – Why founders must practice their pitch
09:13 – What “investor language” really means
10:49 – Scalability & the hockey-stick expectation
11:29 – Can Tier-2 or Tier-3 founders raise funds?
12:14 – Examples of companies funded outside major cities
13:40 – Connections vs. capabilities
15:22 – Networking for non-metro founders
16:56 – Why you should NOT raise without a product
18:24 – Starting up for the right reasons
18:34 – Financial hygiene: audits, filings, documentation
19:55 – Why ESOPs matter for great teams
20:57 – Importance of IP & defensibility
21:31 – The truth about early-stage valuations
23:41 – Why founders need advisors
24:18 – Final advice for Indian founders

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