Preparing for investor questions is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of fundraising. Underestimating the importance of this step can significantly delay your ability to raise funds or even hinder your ability to engage investors effectively. As such, this page was designed to help you prepare for potential investor questions.

Each question requires a well-considered answer that sells your business and its progress to the greatest extent. You should approach preparing for investor questions with the same level of thoughtfulness as you do your pitch. Every answer should be well-thought-out, even to the point of being semi-scripted, to ensure you present your business in the best possible light. Practice answering these questions aloud with your co-founder, refining and improving your responses each time you go through them.

<aside> 💡 The pitch will get you the meeting, the investor questions will get you the money.

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Here’s What You Should Prepare:

• [ ] An ongoing spreadsheet with columns for “Topic/Chapter,” “Question,” and “Answer,” designed to compile and refine the most compelling answers to the 30-50 most challenging and frequently asked questions.
• [ ] Once formulated, ask your coach to proofread your answers and potentially include key VC terminology.
• [ ] Use stories and anecdotes to bring your company to life, such as customer experiences or quirks of the industry.
• [ ] Know your numbers—there are no excuses for being sloppy with financials or metrics.
• [ ] Be confident in the delivery of your answers, investors are looking for confidence and conviction
• [ ] Remember, you’ll present these in a conversation, not a transactional Q&A format.
• [ ] Each answer should be a sell, painting you in the best light possible
• [ ] If you haven’t already, please internalise the Pyramid Principle (“start with the answer first”)

Collection of Investor Questions

The questions below are meant to serve as thought starters. While investors are unlikely to ask all of these questions directly, they will expect you to address the underlying themes during your conversation. The specific questions and areas of focus will vary depending on what you’re building, what stage you’re in, and who’s on the other side of the table.

Opening questions

Team

Problem & Solution