The Scroll | Gate34

THE SCROLL BY GATE34

This is NOT a blog. It’s raw notes, sharp takes, and hard-earned lessons from the front lines of raising funds in sports and startups.

Just click the one you like below or start scrolling. You’ll find all the pieces on this same page.

The Athlete & The Founder
Why talent isn’t enough

Why Fundraising Just Got Weirder
The new rules nobody tells you

Fundraising in Sports: Stop Chasing VCs
The myth you need to break

The Overlooked Investor Strategy
How to unlock early checks

Early Money Hides in Your Sport’s Network
A playbook from the field

How to Turn $25K into $100K
Momentum from small checks

Want VC Money? Read This First
What it actually takes in 2025

Fundraising = High-Ticket Sales
Why most founders fail

The Power of Reverse Engineering Fundraising
Build for the next round

It’s All About the Founder & Trust
Why people back you, not just the idea

The Athlete and the Founder

A lot of startups die early.
Not because the idea was bad.
Because the founder didn’t have the tools to climb.

Same thing happens with athletes.

You can have talent.
Work ethic.
Mindset.

But if you’re in the wrong program, without the right coach, or never get seen… your window closes. Fast.

I’ve seen it firsthand:

Serious potential
Stuck in the wrong environment
No training, no support, no doors opening
Prime years wasted

It’s brutal. You don’t get many chances.

Founders are the same.

Some are born with a golden spoon:

Uncle’s a VC
Parents fund the first round
Doors open easily

And then there’s the rest:

Brilliant builders
No network
No capital
Climbing Everest with bare hands

But here’s the truth:

You don’t always need to walk.
Sometimes there’s a lift.
Sometimes there’s a helicopter.

And some of us are here to fly you over the damn mountain.

Because YOU DESERVE to see what’s on the other side.

Why Fundraising Just Got Weirder

Something strange is happening in fundraising right now.

Pre-seed investors are acting like seed.
Seed investors are acting like Series A.
Family & friends rounds are crowded with angels who demand traction.

And the bar keeps rising.

You used to raise pre-seed with a deck and a dream.

Now investors want validation, traction, and real revenue.

Not just any revenue, $250K+ ARR at least.

For a so-called pre-seed round.

AI is messing with investors’ heads.
Nobody knows what “stage” even means anymore.

Why?

Because building has never been faster or cheaper.
AI, nocode, and global capital reset the game.
Expectations leveled up overnight.

The result?

A blurry, broken stage map where founders are forced to prove way more, way earlier.

Lesson:

If you’re raising pre-seed or seed, plan ahead.
Assume investors will demand traction far beyond what’s “normal.”

Because the rules changed, and they’re not going back for a while.

Pre-seed is the new Seed / Seed+. That’s the game now.

Fundraising in Sports: Stop Chasing VCs

Everyone’s obsessed with VCs.
Pitching VCs.
Getting ignored by VCs.

Here’s the truth: if you’re raising up to $2–3M in sports, VC money is usually the wrong game.

The best money is already in your sport:

People who’ve built something in the game
Ex-players, coaches, team owners
Business people who live and breathe it

They don’t show up on Crunchbase.
They don’t call themselves “angels.”
But they care. They write checks.

And the way in isn’t a pitch deck.
It’s a conversation.

Ask for their advice.
Ask what they’d do in your shoes.
Ask who else you should talk to.

You’ll be surprised how often the answer is:
“Actually… I might be interested myself.”

Remember:
“Ask for money, you get advice. Ask for advice, you get money. Twice.”

VCs help you scale.
But these people? They help you start.

I’ve seen it. I’ve done it.
And in sports tech, it’s still the most overlooked path.

The Overlooked Investor Strategy

Everyone tells founders: go pitch VCs.

Few talk about this: high-net-worth “non-investors” who can write the first checks.

They’re not on Crunchbase.
They don’t call themselves angels.
But they love your sport.

Think:

Country club members
Youth league sponsors
Ex-players and coaches
Business owners who play every week

Most of them have never touched a startup deal. They’ve only done stocks, real estate, maybe a small business. But if they believe in you? They’ll write $25K–$50K checks fast.

The key is how you approach them. Don’t lead with “Would you invest?”

Lead with:

“Can I get your feedback?”
“If you were me, what would you do?”
“Do you know anyone I should talk to?”

That’s when they surprise you with:
“Actually… I might be interested myself.”

I’ve done it.

One global soccer star. Multiple wealthy dads. Countless club members. All backing startups, not because of spreadsheets, but because of passion.

Here’s the lesson:
Your best early money might not come from investors. It comes from believers.

Early Money Hides in Your Sport’s Network

Here’s a real story. No names.

A Swedish golf startup needed funding.
We didn’t chase VCs.
We looked inside the game.

Where did we find gold?
Inside a social golf app that is very popular in Sweden.

Users with 50, 100, 200 friends
Many had done exits
Quiet, successful people, hiding in plain sight

We pulled 30–40 names.
Wrote personal messages, the kind you don’t ignore.

What happened?

Incredible response rate
Multiple investors after one meeting
One wired €30K after a one-hour call
Many had never invested in startups before, only stocks or real estate
We walked them through it, and they said yes

They weren’t just investing money.
They were investing in the sport they love.

Now, let's look here in the U.S.:

Golf clubs
Tennis clubs
Padel clubs
Ski lodges
Gyms

That’s where your capital is.
That’s where your network is.

These people don’t show up on Crunchbase.
But they’re ready to support something real, if you know how to ask.

How to Turn a $25K Check into $100K

The first $20K–$25K checks are always the hardest.

Why?

Because the risk is highest.
No traction. No momentum. No validation.
They’re betting on you, nothing else.

And here’s where most founders blow it.

They close those first checks… and immediately run off chasing new money.
Big mistake.

Because the fastest way to $100K isn’t cold outreach. It’s turning those early believers into multipliers.

How?

Keep them close.
Weekly or bi-weekly updates.
Short messages. Screenshots. A quick text:

New SAFE signed
Customer feedback
Product progress
Team wins

This isn’t “investor relations.” It’s relationship-building.

Here’s what happens:

You build trust
You stay top of mind
And they start talking

Not because you asked. But because it feels good to share a great bet. To brag a little: “I backed this founder early, and they’re flying.”

And suddenly they’re not just investors.
They’re your ambassadors.

That buzz creates curiosity.
Curiosity creates momentum.
Momentum creates FOMO.

And I’ve seen it: that kind of buzz pulls in more checks than any cold email ever could.

So don’t underestimate your first backers.
Treat them like part of the team.

Because nothing sells your story better than someone else believing in it.

Turn early investors into ambassadors, and $25K becomes $100K fast.

Want VC Money? Read This First

Most founders chasing VCs don’t understand the game. Especially in sports.

Unless you:

Already have a personal relationship
Or get a strong intro from someone they trust

…you’re probably getting just ignored.

Even when they say “pre-seed,” they think like it’s Series A.

Here’s the 2025 reality:

You need real traction
You need revenue
You need proof this thing works

VCs aren’t playing with their own money.
They manage other people’s. That makes them cautious. And slow.

Yes, they miss big deals because of it.
But that’s the system.

Still want to chase them? Then do it right:

Research deeply
Target the funds that invest in your sport
Study their portfolio, do you actually fit?
Forget mass-blasting 2,000 emails
Craft 100 perfect ones instead

And be patient. This road takes time.

And the only real shortcut?

You’ve already made them rich once before.

Fundraising = High-Ticket Sales

When I entered sports tech and fundraising, I realized something: It’s the same game I played in B2B.

Founders think fundraising is different.
It’s not. It’s just sales.

And most people don’t know how to sell.

What I learned in B2B applies 1:1:

Segmentation matters. Just because someone runs a fund doesn’t mean they’re your buyer.
Your pitch deck is sales material. Your startup is the product. It’s not there to explain. It’s there to convince.
Your route in defines your odds.

There are only 3 ways to make a high-ticket sale (same with fundraising):

You’ve sold to them before (they invested, you made them money).
You get a warm intro from someone they trust.
You go in cold. That’s where only the elite salespeople thrive.

The first no? Closer to the yes.
Silence? Not a stop sign, a challenge.

Real salespeople don’t follow up with “just checking in.” They follow up with value. They show up until it’s impossible to ignore.

This is a long game. And most founders aren’t built for it. They’re builders. Creators. Product minds. 99% would never take a sales job.

I did. I’m in the 1%.

And if you don’t learn to sell? You don’t get funded. That’s where most startups die. Great idea. Great product. No ability to sell the vision.

And fundraising sucks. Big time.

You’ll hear 10, 50, 100 no’s. But the one yes?
It erases every no.

Sales is a numbers game. Fundraising is too.

People are out here trying to “revolutionize” fundraising with drop-off charts. As if it’s new.

“Oh wow, some investors drop out after the intro call?” That’s called a sales funnel.

Some founders need 1,000 leads. Others need 100. Some just 20.

It depends on your deck, your product, your targeting, your ability to sell, and the deal investors are getting.

That’s the game.

Mark Cuban said it best:

“For the founder, raising funds is not an achievement. It’s an obligation.”

And he’s right. It’s a weight you carry. If you’ve never done it, you’ll never understand.

And you know what?

Mark knows how to sell.

That’s why he’s Mark Cuban.

The Power of Reverse Engineering Fundraising

In life, there are moments you think:

“If I had just known that earlier…”

Fundraising is one of those. Most founders don’t fail because the product was wrong.

They fail because they didn’t know what investors needed to see at each stage.

By the time they start raising, it’s too late to prepare.

The numbers aren’t there
The story isn’t sharp
The signals are missing

But when you know what’s expected at pre-seed, seed, and Series A, you can build toward it on purpose.

It changes how much you raise now.

It changes which milestones you prioritize.

It changes how you spend every dollar.

You stop guessing.

You start engineering your path to the next round.

Simple idea.

Massive leverage.

It’s All About the Founder & Trust

Ideas are everywhere. ChatGPT can spit out ten new ones in minutes.

But investors aren’t backing ideas. At the early stage, they’re backing you.

The first thing I look at?

The founder.
Not the deck.
Not the market.
You.

Are you all-in?
Are you full-time?
Does your background line up with the problem you’re solving?
Do you even show your company on LinkedIn? (Believe it or not, many don’t. Huge red flag.)

Here’s the reality:

First-time, non-technical founders who treat it like a side hustle rarely get funded.
Repeat founders with scars, failures, wins, and exits? They walk in with an advantage.

And the data backs it up:

First-time founders rarely deliver positive exits.
Repeat founders have much better odds.

That doesn’t mean unicorns, but situations where investors get their money back. And investors know the chances are stronger when you’ve been through the grind before.

So how do you tilt the odds if you’re early?

Build a clear story. No clutter. Problem, solution, why now, who cares, traction.
Use ChatGPT to pressure-test your own deck before investors do.
Bring in real advisors, not just names on a slide, but people who’ve actually built, hired, raised, and exited.
Show signals of belief: your own money, family, friends, early checks.

Because trust is built in layers.

At the end of the day, early-stage investors back exceptional founders. Not just for the idea, but for the trust they build.

That’s what raises money.

That’s what keeps companies alive.

Tired of empty fundraising advice? Same.

Most people offering fundraising advice are cheering from the sidelines. We are playing it, raising, building, getting punched every single day.

If you're building in sports or sports tech, let's talk! From early-stage ideas to growing businesses, if it's real and you're serious, we want to hear from you.

Reach out and let’s see how we can help you raise funds, whether you’re just getting started or have been running into walls for a while.