For years, there was a formula for raising money from VC's: perfect your pitch deck, polish your twelve slides, practice the elevator pitch, and hope someone in the limited VC circle gives you a shot.
But that formula worked in a different era, when venture capital was still a close knit club and the same 1,200 people decided which ideas got funded. Those limited rules don't apply anymore. And this shift is not only relevant in VC but also when pitching angel investors.
What Robert Harary has lived firsthand is that the investors who matter today aren't looking for perfect companies. They're looking for founders who are honest, self-aware, and willing to build in the open. The people who win now aren't necessarily the most connected; they're the ones who are real, transparent, and building relationships instead of performances.
Robert's story is a perfect example of that shift. He raised his first million at 17 with zero network, went on to back more than 300 startups as a VC, and is now building Raisi.ai, a platform that automatically connects founders and investors, no warm intros required.
In this conversation, we talk about why the old "pitch-only based" era of fundraising is over, what he sees as a new partnership-driven model, and how authenticity has quietly replaced access as the most valuable currency in venture capital.
Topics Covered;
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Why the old fundraising playbook stopped working, and what replaced it
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How to raise capital without a network, connections, or pedigree
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What investors now value most in founders (and why "perfect" is a red flag)
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How to shift from perfect pitch-based to partnership-based fundraising
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The rise of platforms like Raisi.ai and what they signal about the future of venture
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How transparency and imperfection can actually strengthen investor trust
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What the post-2021 "venture reset" means for early-stage founders
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How founders can build investor relationships months before raising a round
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The subtle red flags that turn investors off before a single slide is shown
Guest Bio
Robert Harary is an early-stage VC investor, founder, and lifelong believer that access to capital shouldn't depend on who you know. He found his first deal while sitting in high school detention and has spent the decade since working to make fundraising more transparent, efficient, and equitable. Today, Robert is the #2 at Evolution VC Partners, a leading firm with 300+ portfolio companies in the Culture Tech space. Robert co-founded Raisi, a platform that automatically connects founders and investors, matching great ideas with the right capital every eight minutes. Raisi is built on a simple belief: founders shouldn't have to rely on elite networks or endless introductions to get funded. The company is redefining how startups raise money by making investor access smarter, faster, and more inclusive. Collectively, the companies Robert has worked with have raised more than $1.2 billion from firms like Sequoia, a16z, Accel, YC, and Village Global.
Sign up for https://raisi.ai/ and mention The Seed Money Podcast to get a discount.
Connect with Robert on LinkedIn.
About Your Host
Jayla Siciliano, Shark Tank entrepreneur turned real estate investor, excels in building brands, teams, and products. CEO of a bi-coastal luxury short-term rental company, she also hosts the Seed Money Podcast, where she's on a mission to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality!
Connect:
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Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.