Jason Kraus is the Founder & CEO of Prepare 4 VC, where he works with early-stage founders to help them become investor-ready, sharpen their narrative, and build companies that actually last. Prepare 4 VC supports startups from pre-seed through Series A, with founders collectively raising over $480M+ in capital.

Jason is also an active investor in 20+ ventures and the author of Venture Forward: Lessons from Leaders. He’s deeply involved in the startup ecosystem as a community builder and advisor, helping founders strengthen decision-making, leadership habits, and clarity around fundraising and growth.

At the core of his work is a simple belief: fundraising isn’t just about capital—it’s about readiness, conviction, and execution.

During this episode, we discuss:

• How Jason working at early stage venture funds showed there are a lot of great founders who need support with getting in the door
• Prepare 4 VC’s support with GTM, growth, and fundraising
• What goes into crafting a perfect pitch
• Why the customers don’t always care about the product but rather what it does
• The balance between cold emails vs warm emails to investors
• Where founders should begin if they don’t even know where to start
• The proof points that show traction to investors beyond revenue
• Why Jason isn’t a fan of stealth mode
• Success stories from Prepare 4 VC
• What’s coming up for Prepare 4 VC in 2026
• Why Boston is a great place to build

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things fundraising!