In our second episode of How to Raise a Round, we sit down with Shaan Hathiramani—CEO of the remote sales training academy, Flockjay—to hear the inspiring story behind his $11 million Series A. Along the way, we learn:
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How to navigate delicate conversations with investors when they want to give you money, but also want you to change your business.
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How to create “input” and “output” goals, in order to achieve clarity when choosing which investors and advisors to work with.
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How Shaan learned the importance of highlighting his values, mission, and leadership approach when pitching to VCs.
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How investors think about marketplace trends when choosing who to invest in.
Shaan’s story
There’s so much we can learn from Flockjay founder/CEO Shaan Hathiramani, and the story of his $11M Series A.
When the pandemic threw a wrench in his fundraising plans, Shaan wondered how he would find investors. How could he still raise a round without compromising his values as a founder?
He sat still, and looked at the world around him.
What he saw was millions of people rising up, calling for the exact things that he built Flockjay to accomplish: Equality, inclusivity, and opportunity for underrepresented people.
A fire was lit inside him.
Instead of downplaying his personal values to avoid “alienating” investors, Shaan built a completely new pitch that spoke to Flockjay’s core mission: Creating opportunities and upward mobility for underrepresented people in tech.
In the end, his round wasn’t just oversubscribed.
It was full of investors, advisors, and advocates who aligned with his values and shared his mission.
Flockjay is making the world a better, more inclusive place to work. Hear the incredible story of their Series A, on this week’s episode of How to Raise a Round.
We re-did elements of our pitch, and went back out there to specifically find [investors] who aligned with what we wanted to see in the world.
Listen to our interview with Shaan by streaming How to Raise a Round on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.