Investors will tell you your pitch makes total sense, then still say no, and most founders never figure out why.
The man who raised over $70 billion across a 30-year career (flagship funds at General Catalyst, now leading fundraising at Lila Sciences) has the answer: they believe you, but they don’t trust you, and belief and trust are not the same thing.
We broke down his full 52-minute masterclass with Patrick O’Shaughnessy into the exact frameworks John Kim used to move that capital, so you can run your next raise on the thing that actually unlocks a check.
In this guide you’ll find:
Belief vs trust: why investors say yes to logic and still don’t wire the money
The hard reelect number: why your first close caps your total raise (and why friends-and-family is the most expensive money you’ll take)
How General Catalyst built consensus one LP at a time (and why committees never fund contrarians)
The 3 laws of fundraising: differentiation, trade-offs, and the conversion math that turns a raise into effort
The psychology of every meeting: the drama triangle, the repeatable phrase, and being the Secretary of State
What to steal: 5 moves for your next raise
Want to learn all about the AI Opportunity before it’s mainstream?
Here’s a good place to start:
↳Alex Karp’s Playbook for Which AI Companies Survive
↳19 great new details about Cursor’s rise
↳Perplexity’s CEO 2026 AI Pitch
↳The First 48 Hours of Claude Fable 5
Try premium free for 7 days. Or get 50% off this week only.
