Right Message, Wrong Moment? Your Pitch Is Only as Good as Its Timing

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Welcome to the 14th edition of The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 3,246 founders! Here, we break down the latest insights from our weekly Investor Office Hours sessions and equip you with tools to help you secure capital, customers, and talent for your business.

Missed the live session? Listen to the recording here.
Want to join the next session? Check out the full list of investors here.
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Office Hours Recap:
We are now partnering with the Startup Community led by @TheBestOfAdam on X to bring our Office Hours to the over 147,000 community members!

Session #1 - Mike Ma, Managing Partner at Sidecut Ventures

Stage: Pre-Seed to Seed

Industry: Economic mobility, climate, education, and healthcare (open to others if impact is clear)

Check Size: $250K - $500K, flexible on round position (can lead, follow, or close rounds)

How to Apply: sidecut.vc/pitch-us – all submissions go through this form and are personally reviewed

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Every founder must “dance” with Sidecut for 30 days before investment. Mike’s unique diligence process requires working side-by-side for a month to ensure strong alignment.

2. The firm backs “coachable superheroes” — mission-driven founders with resilience and a compelling story. Sidecut looks for both traction and character.

3. Early-stage differentiation matters. Mike emphasized that in a crowded market, founders must stand out through clear purpose, customer insight, and human connection—not just a strong deck.

Session #2 - Raquel Scott, Investor at SemperVirens Venture Capital

Stage: Seed to Series B (Fund), Pre-Seed & Seed (Accelerator)

Industry: Workforce tech, HR tech, benefits, fintech (especially where it intersects with the future of work)

Check Size: $500K–$4M, typically a co-investor rather than lead

How to Apply: Warm introductions are preferred, but founders can also apply through their website at sempervirensvc.com or reach out directly to Raquel via LinkedIn if there’s strong alignment.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Workforce is Their Wedge: SemperVirens focuses on where work and life collide—investing in infrastructure that supports employees and employers alike. They often invest in companies that can sell through employer channels, HR platforms, or benefits brokers.

2. Strategic Distribution Wins: Startups with unique access to large employers or established distribution pipelines have a meaningful edge. Raquel emphasized that strategic GTM matters more than ever in today's funding climate.

3. Clear and Compelling Narrative: Founders must clearly articulate why this, why now, and why them. In a noisy market, clarity of mission and understanding of customer needs are essential to stand out.

Funding Resources:

💰 Resources of the Week:

Maesa Magic Incubator Class of 2026 - $35K | Deadline: 8/6/2025

Founders' Box Accelerator: Fall 2025 - $150K | Deadline: 8/8/2025

Distilled Intelligence Pitch Competition - $1M | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Small Business Impact Awards - $25K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

Greater Sum’s Virtual Incubator - Up to $10K | Deadline: 8/15/2025

SemperVirens Accelerator - Deadline: 8/15/2025

Quit & Thrive Challenge - $100K | Deadline: 9/2/20225

AI x New Energy Tech Startup Bootcamp - $100K | Deadline: 9/5/20205

The Workers Lab’s Innovation Fund Fellowship - Up to $200K | Deadline: TBD

Z Fellows - $10K | Rolling

Tulsa Remote - $10K | Rolling

💸 Alternative Funding Sources:

Access up to $2M in non-dilutive debt financing. Request information here.

Raise up to $5M in equity capital through a Community Round. Request information here.

Interested in 1 on 1 support from Darrel? In preparation for launching my own fund, I will be working 1 on 1 with select founders as an advisor. Interested founders can learn more and consider submitting their company here.

🎙️ Podcast of the Week:

Summary:
Greg Isenberg introduces Bardeen, an AI automation tool that’s redefining productivity by blending the no-code ethos of tools like Zapier and n8n with the intelligence of autonomous agents. He shares how Bardeen eliminated dozens of repetitive workflows in his life — from auto-filling Notion databases to scraping LinkedIn and sending DMs — all without writing a single line of code. Greg explores how AI agents go beyond simple “if this, then that” logic and instead think, decide, and act in dynamic environments. He also reflects on what makes a tool breakout-worthy in today’s crowded automation landscape: delight, immediate usefulness, and saving users meaningful time.

Why I recommend it:
This episode is a must-listen for founders and operators looking to leverage automation without engineering overhead. Greg doesn’t just hype a tool — he gives real-world examples of how he’s using AI agents to scale himself. If you’re wearing multiple hats, constantly drowning in admin tasks, or searching for leverage in your workflow, this is a compelling window into what’s possible when automation meets intelligence. It’s also a glimpse at how startups can build breakout products by solving one painful problem really well. You can listen here.

✨ Inspiration

💬 Tweet of the Week

🙏🏽 Scripture of the Week

That’s all for this week’s edition of The Good News Newsletter. We hope you found these insights valuable as you continue your journey to securing funding.

What’s next?

Join us the this Friday for more amazing guests joining us for Office Hours.

For session #1 we have Sakib Dadi, Partner at Stage 2 Capital.

​Stage 2 Capital invests in early-stage B2B software companies and sits shoulder to shoulder with leadership teams to operationalize sustainable revenue growth.

For session #2 we have Robert Harary, Investor at Evolution VC Partners.

​Evolution VC Partners invests in cutting-edge Culture Technology companies shaping the future of how we live and connect.

If interested in joining and/or pitching, please register here.

You can see the full list of past and future VCs on this Calendar.

Be on the lookout for our newsletter next week where we’ll bring you more actionable advice, resources, and success stories.

Let’s All, spread ‘The Good News’

Best,
Darrel Frater
Co-Founder
The Frater Family Foundation
Linkedin | Twitter/X | 609-804-5999

P.S. - If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to a founder you know who could benefit from these insights!

P.S.S. - Got ideas or suggestions for The Good News? Shoot me an email at [email protected] for us to discuss!

About TFFF: The Frater Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the family office of Darrel and Roselly Frater, dedicated to promoting human prosperity through entrepreneurship. To learn more, reach out to Darrel Frater directly.