Raising money isn't glamorous. The real fundraising process consists of repeatedly scheduling one-on-one meetings in an effort to convince investors and gather checks. It's a grind that happens over casual coffee talks and exchanges rather than formal sales presentations. Usually, it takes several months and hundreds of meetings with investors.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Ben Lang—a well-known angel investor in Israel and advisor to more than 50 startups—shared a one-page summary of the process of startup fundraising from well-known startup incubator Y Combinator.

Since its founding in 2005, the incubator has provided funding to more than 3,000 businesses, of which more than 12 are now publicly traded, more than 60 are unicorns valued at more than $1 billion, and YC alumni have a combined valuation of more than $600 billion.

Y Combinator previously hosted a number of well-known Indian startups, including Zepto, Razorpay, Meesho, Groww, Drip Capital, and others.

The document emphasizes the importance of launching with a basic prototype and engaging early users, as this can serve as the founder’s strongest pitch to investors.

Securing early-stage funding is more accessible with tools like YC’s SAFE agreement, which simplifies the process and allows founders to maintain control. While rejection is inevitable in fundraising, the key is to connect with investors who genuinely believe in your vision and are willing to back it.