How to Raise a Seed Round in 2026: Ask Jason | E2294

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This Week In Startups is made possible by:partner 1 - linkpartner 2 - linkpartner 3 - linkToday’s show:Jason breaks down the real math behind raising a seed round. Here’s the funnel: contact 150 firms, get 50 first meetings, convert 2o into second meetings, and close 2 term sheets.PLUS Jason responds to viewer questions about why hardware is no longer a dirty word for investors, how to differentiate your startup from frontier-model companies like OpenAI, even when they’re in your niche. Plus a pitch for “Founder Community College,” and anecdotes from Lon’s European odyssey.Thanks for the Questions:Richard Corral: CEO of Quanto: https://quanto.co/ØnProtons on X: https://x.com/0nProtonsSergeDawg on X: https://x.com/sergedawgMahika GolaniPeridot: https://www.tryperidot.com/Shawn Sully on X: https://x.com/arooglePrograms and Accelerators Mentioned:Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/Antler: https://www.antler.co/PearX: https://pear.vc/pearx/Sequoia ARC: https://www.sequoiacap.com/arc/Kauffman Fellows: https://www.kauffmanfellows.org/Companies and Startups Referenced:Whoop: https://www.whoop.com/Knightscope: https://knightscope.com/Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/Cafe X: https://www.cafexapp.com/Media Referenced:New Yorker Sam Altman profile: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trustedOff-Duty RecommendationsTerra Kaffe Demi compact automatic espresso machine: https://www.terrakaffe.com/products/tk-demiOsteria Pastella (Florence, Italy): https://www.osteriapastella.it/Timestamps:0:00 Inside the TWiST private group chat3:25 How to react when an investor says your "too early."6:50 The ultimate seed round funnel8:48 Jason's new Associate in Training program10:09 Grasshopper Bank - Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.18:28 How have the metrics for early-stage companies changed?20:20 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first