How Much Proof Does a Consumer Startup Need to Raise Money?

So this is int- so for a founder out there who, who is listening who might have, you know, "I've got this thing happening over here to, that makes me money on the side.

It's not my main thing, but I have this main thing I want to work for," how do you, how would you talk to somebody about kind of thinking about unconventional moves like that without losing focus?

So, um, it's tricky because you, you, you definitely want some, you definitely want some degree of verification that the thing you really want to do is a thing that other people want you to do.

Uh, meaning if it's a product, people want your product.

I wouldn't just say follow your dreams and quit your day jobbing.

It's terrible advice.

It's terrible advice.

Yeah, terrible advice.

Um-

Stay in school, kids.

Yeah.

I mean, look, I'll, I'll let you back this into a different way.

So I got in the music business.

I love music.

I was a drummer.

I was very good at it.

It was the thing I was really good at in high school and when I was a kid.

I wasn't great at sports.

That's what I was good at.

So then everywhere I'd go, I'd start a band.

So I get to college, I start a band.

I found out there's a concert committee.

I didn't ever think I was gonna be a drummer for a career move, so that, that, that wasn't w- uh, on the table.

But the music industry, when I realized by booking bands for the university, uh, that there was an industry, I was like, "That's all I wanna do." Now, it's impossibly hard to get in.

You're working for free.

So this is int- so for a founder out there who, who is listening who might have, you know, "I've got this thing happening over here to, that makes me money on the side.

It's not my main thing, but I have this main thing I want to work for," how do you, how would you talk to somebody about kind of thinking about unconventional moves like that without losing focus?

So, um, it's tricky because you, you, you definitely want some, you definitely want some degree of verification that the thing you really want to do is a thing that other people want you to do.

Uh, meaning if it's a product, people want your product.

I wouldn't just say follow your dreams and quit your day jobbing.

It's terrible advice.

It's terrible advice.

Yeah, terrible advice.

Um-

Stay in school, kids.

Yeah.

I mean, look, I'll, I'll let you back this into a different way.

So I got in the music business.

I love music.

I was a drummer.

I was very good at it.

It was the thing I was really good at in high school and when I was a kid.

I wasn't great at sports.

That's what I was good at.

So then everywhere I'd go, I'd start a band.

So I get to college, I start a band.

I found out there's a concert committee.

I didn't ever think I was gonna be a drummer for a career move, so that, that, that wasn't w- uh, on the table.

But the music industry, when I realized by booking bands for the university, uh, that there was an industry, I was like, "That's all I wanna do." Now, it's impossibly hard to get in.

You're working for free.