MailModo From introduction to leading the pre-seed round, all in just 2 weeks
I was introduced to Kushal by a common friend, in whose company Kushal had led the pre-seed round. This friend insisted that I talk to Kushal if I want to close a quick pre-seed. I took him up on the offer and we first spoke in June 2020 just when the COVID lockdowns across India were opening up and most VCs were investing in pretty much nothing.
We had some angel commitments back then but no one to lead and price our round. Kushal did one call to understand what we were building and since this market was new to him, he then introduced us to three of his founder angel friends who gave both me (and Kushal) amazing feedback on the product and market we were in. One of them ended up investing and also becoming our customer (thanks Harsh!). Alongside this process, Kushal built the conviction to price and lead our pre-seed round - all on Zoom calls and all within 2 weeks. Whatever space we had left, he helped us fill it in fast via more introductions to other value add investors who still continue to support us.
Kushal is the best early-stage partner and cheerleader you can ask for! I am grateful to have him available just a call away!
The paperwork was pretty smooth and for a first-time founder like me - Kushal was extremely patient in explaining each and every term to me and moved super quickly to close and help get the money wired.
Around the time of our round closure, I also had to make the decision of bringing on board one of our co-founders and - Kushal was instrumental in helping me weigh the pros and cons and helping me structure the partnership with him. This then evolved into one my best professional relationships - where I call Kushal for advice on every major decision that I have taken as a founder - like whether going to YC would be worth it for us, how to structure our seed round, how to structure our ESOP pool, what benchmarks to aim for, ideate on how to boost our growth and so on. A few months later, he introduced us to the lead investor of our seed round and helped me refine my pitch, the deck, and our narrative as well. I don’t always listen to him but it’s just so helpful to have someone on the cap-table who thinks and responds just like a founder!
For any early stage entrepreneur who’s just starting out and is new to the world of startups and VCs -Kushal is the best early-stage partner and cheerleader you can ask for! I am grateful to have him available just a call away!
- Aquibur Rahman, Founder and CEO of MailModo
