Most founders start fundraising too late. A raise typically takes three to six months from first meeting to money in the bank, so the clock you really need to watch is runway — how many months your cash lasts at your current burn.
Do the simple math
Divide cash on hand by monthly net burn. If the answer is under nine months, you are already in raising territory. Use the Runway tool in the Founder Toolkit to see your 'start raising by' date.
Raise for milestones, not months
Investors fund progress. Decide which milestones will make your next round easy — revenue, retention, a key hire — then size the raise to reach them with a buffer of roughly 25%.
Cut burn before you need to
Every month of extra runway is leverage at the negotiating table. Review tools, contractors and spend quarterly so you never raise from a position of panic.