He invested in 30 early-stage startups. Here's what he looks for in the founders he backs. | Gopi Rangan, Founder of Sure Ventures

Gopi Rangan has invested in 29 early-stage startups from scratch. He shares a simple but powerful approach to picking the right VCs, structuring your pitch (long-term vision + short-term plan + fuzzy mid-term path), and proving you are the sort of founder every pre-seed investor craves. 

If you’re raising a pre-seed or seed, Gopi’s tips will make your process faster, more targeted, and a lot less painful.

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Why You Should Listen

1. The 2-minute test for "real" pre-seed investors – Spot VCs who truly lead early rounds vs. those who waste your time.

2. His 3-step framework for finding your perfect lead – Forget the 100 investor pipeline. Zero in on 10 prospects who’ll actually write a check.

3. How to balance short-term execution with a massive mission – Win over pre-seed VCs by knowing your next 6 months and your 10-year ambition.

4. Why "business acumen" beats everything – Gopi explains how it trumps domain expertise or brand-name credentials.

5. When to be fuzzy, when to be precise – The counterintuitive approach that shows you’re open to customer feedback while still having big vision.

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Keywords

Pre-seed Funding, Early-Stage VC, Business Acumen, Go-to-Market Strategy, Founder–Investor Fit, Strategic Networking, Seed Round Pitch, Warm Introductions, Mission-Driven Startups, Conviction Investing

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(00:00:00) Why Ruthless Prioritization Wins

(00:03:29) Why Investing at Pre-seed is Personal

(00:08:36) Investing When There Are Still Typos in the Pitch Deck

(00:12:23) Spotting Founders with Exceptional Business Acumen

(00:17:21) Great Ideas in the Hands of the Right Founder

(00:26:29) The Practical Guide to Raising Your Seed Round

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