{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"MK Growth Advisors","home_page_url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com","description":"MK Growth Advisors","author":{"name":"MK Growth Advisors"},"items":[{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/where-to-find-a-cofounder-for-your-startup","html_content":"

Finding a cofounder is one of the highest-stakes decisions you will make as a founder, and most of the advice on how to do it focuses on the wrong part of the problem, treating it like a recruiting exercise when it is cl...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/where-to-find-a-cofounder-for-your-startup","title":"Where to Find a Cofounder for Your Startup","summary":"Finding a cofounder is one of the highest-stakes decisions you will make as a founder, and most of the advice on how to do it focuses on the wrong part of the problem, treating it like a recruiting exercise when it is cl...","date_modified":"2026-05-25T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/building-the-team-investors-want-to-fund","html_content":"

Investors say they back teams as much as ideas, and they mean it, but most founders do not know specifically what investors are evaluating when they look at the founding team, which gaps are acceptable at which stage, an...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/building-the-team-investors-want-to-fund","title":"Building the Team Investors Want to Fund","summary":"Investors say they back teams as much as ideas, and they mean it, but most founders do not know specifically what investors are evaluating when they look at the founding team, which gaps are acceptable at which stage, an...","date_modified":"2026-05-18T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/traction-vs-market-validation-what-founders-get-wrong","html_content":"

Traction and market validation are not the same thing, and investors evaluate them as two separate questions, so presenting one when an investor is looking for the other is one of the most common reasons a pitch stalls w...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/traction-vs-market-validation-what-founders-get-wrong","title":"Traction vs. Market Validation: What Founders Get Wrong","summary":"Traction and market validation are not the same thing, and investors evaluate them as two separate questions, so presenting one when an investor is looking for the other is one of the most common reasons a pitch stalls w...","date_modified":"2026-05-14T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-show-traction-to-investors-pre-revenue","html_content":"

Revenue is the gold standard for investor traction, and for many investors it is a firm requirement, so raising money before you have it means accepting a smaller investor pool and a higher bar on everything else you bri...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-show-traction-to-investors-pre-revenue","title":"How to Show Traction to Investors Pre-Revenue","summary":"Revenue is the gold standard for investor traction, and for many investors it is a firm requirement, so raising money before you have it means accepting a smaller investor pool and a higher bar on everything else you bri...","date_modified":"2026-05-12T15:44:52Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-fund-growth-options-for-small-businesses","html_content":"

Profitable business owners looking to expand often have more funding options available to them than they realize -- and fewer reasons to give up equity than they might assume. The right path depends on what you are fundi...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-fund-growth-options-for-small-businesses","title":"How to Fund Growth: Options for Small Businesses","summary":"Profitable business owners looking to expand often have more funding options available to them than they realize -- and fewer reasons to give up equity than they might assume. The right path depends on what you are fundi...","date_modified":"2026-04-27T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/your-fundraising-timeline-a-startup-founders-guide","html_content":"

Most first-time founders underestimate how long a fundraising round takes by three to six months. They start outreach when they have 60 days of runway left, treat investor conversations as sequential rather than parallel...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/your-fundraising-timeline-a-startup-founders-guide","title":"Your Fundraising Timeline: A Startup Founder's Guide","summary":"Most first-time founders underestimate how long a fundraising round takes by three to six months. They start outreach when they have 60 days of runway left, treat investor conversations as sequential rather than parallel...","date_modified":"2026-04-20T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-negotiate-your-startup-valuation","html_content":"

Most founders accept the first valuation an investor offers because they do not know what is negotiable and what is not. They mistake the investor's opening number for the market's verdict. It is not. It is an opening po...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-negotiate-your-startup-valuation","title":"How to Negotiate Your Startup Valuation","summary":"Most founders accept the first valuation an investor offers because they do not know what is negotiable and what is not. They mistake the investor's opening number for the market's verdict. It is not. It is an opening po...","date_modified":"2026-04-13T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/valuation-caps-explained","html_content":"

A valuation cap on a SAFE or convertible note sounds simple until you run the math and realize what you actually agreed to. Most founders who sign one do not fully understand what the cap means for their ownership at con...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/valuation-caps-explained","title":"Valuation Caps Explained","summary":"A valuation cap on a SAFE or convertible note sounds simple until you run the math and realize what you actually agreed to. Most founders who sign one do not fully understand what the cap means for their ownership at con...","date_modified":"2026-04-06T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-early-stage-startups-get-valued","html_content":"

Before you walk into a funding conversation, you need to understand how investors arrive at a valuation for your startup and what that number means for your ownership. Most founders think valuation is something that happ...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-early-stage-startups-get-valued","title":"How Early-Stage Startups Get Valued","summary":"Before you walk into a funding conversation, you need to understand how investors arrive at a valuation for your startup and what that number means for your ownership. Most founders think valuation is something that happ...","date_modified":"2026-03-31T13:42:34Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/12-funding-terms-every-founder-should-know-before-signing","html_content":"

Last updated: March 2026

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/12-funding-terms-every-founder-should-know-before-signing","title":"12 Funding Terms Every Founder Should Know Before Signing ","summary":"Last updated: March 2026","date_modified":"2026-03-23T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/safe-vs-convertible-note-vs-equity-what-you-need-to-know","html_content":"

SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity rounds explained. What they are, what they cost you, and which one you're likely to see first.

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/safe-vs-convertible-note-vs-equity-what-you-need-to-know","title":"SAFE vs. Convertible Note vs. Equity: What You Need to Know","summary":"SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity rounds explained. What they are, what they cost you, and which one you're likely to see first.","date_modified":"2026-03-20T14:34:40Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-your-pitch-isnt-landing-even-when-investors-seem-interested","html_content":"

Last updated: March 2026

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-your-pitch-isnt-landing-even-when-investors-seem-interested","title":"Why Your Pitch Isn't Landing Even When Investors Seem Interested","summary":"Last updated: March 2026","date_modified":"2026-03-16T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/cold-email-response-rates-from-investors-early-stage-startups","html_content":"

Pre-seed founders cold emailing investors should expect a 5-15% response rate. See benchmarks by outreach type, the 5 variables that shift reply rates most, and how to diagnose whether your list or your pitch is the prob...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/cold-email-response-rates-from-investors-early-stage-startups","title":"Cold Email Response Rates to Investors: 2026 Founder Benchmarks","summary":"Pre-seed founders cold emailing investors should expect a 5-15% response rate. See benchmarks by outreach type, the 5 variables that shift reply rates most, and how to diagnose whether your list or your pitch is the prob...","date_modified":"2026-03-10T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-investors-arent-responding-to-your-emails-and-how-to-fix-it","html_content":"

Last updated: March 2026

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-investors-arent-responding-to-your-emails-and-how-to-fix-it","title":"Why Investors Aren't Responding to Your Emails and How to Fix It","summary":"Last updated: March 2026","date_modified":"2026-03-09T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/9-questions-investors-will-ask-you-and-how-to-answer-them","html_content":"

Most founders prepare for investor meetings by rehearsing their pitch deck. That’s the wrong thing to practice.

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/9-questions-investors-will-ask-you-and-how-to-answer-them","title":"9 Questions Investors Will Ask You (And How to Answer Them)","summary":"Most founders prepare for investor meetings by rehearsing their pitch deck. That’s the wrong thing to practice.","date_modified":"2026-03-04T16:03:56Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/7-ways-to-fund-a-startup-before-you-have-revenue","html_content":"

By Melissa Kempkes

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/7-ways-to-fund-a-startup-before-you-have-revenue","title":"7 Ways to Fund a Startup Before You Have Revenue","summary":"By Melissa Kempkes","date_modified":"2026-02-27T17:40:30Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-cold-email-investors-what-gets-read-vs-what-gets-deleted","html_content":"

Most founders who are not getting responses from investors have spent a meaningful amount of time on their cold email. They have rewritten the subject line. They have shortened the pitch. They have tested different openi...

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-cold-email-investors-what-gets-read-vs-what-gets-deleted","title":"Cold Emailing Investors: What Gets Read vs. Deleted ","summary":"Most founders who are not getting responses from investors have spent a meaningful amount of time on their cold email. They have rewritten the subject line. They have shortened the pitch. They have tested different openi...","date_modified":"2026-02-23T14:30:35Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-find-investors-for-your-startup","html_content":"

By Melissa Kempkes | Former VC Portfolio Manager & Executive Director, Angel Investor Network

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/how-to-find-investors-for-your-startup","title":"How to Find Investors for Your Startup","summary":"By Melissa Kempkes | Former VC Portfolio Manager & Executive Director, Angel Investor Network","date_modified":"2026-02-22T17:12:06Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/what-investors-see-when-they-look-at-your-startup","html_content":"

By Melissa Kempkes | Former VC Portfolio Manager & Executive Director, Angel Investor Network

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/what-investors-see-when-they-look-at-your-startup","title":"What Investors See When They Look at Your Startup","summary":"By Melissa Kempkes | Former VC Portfolio Manager & Executive Director, Angel Investor Network","date_modified":"2026-02-21T16:18:42Z"},{"id":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-startups-fail-to-raise-funding-its-rarely-the-idea","html_content":"

By Melissa Kempkes

","url":"https://mkgrowthadvisors.com/insights/f/why-startups-fail-to-raise-funding-its-rarely-the-idea","title":"Why Startups Fail to Raise Funding (It's Rarely the Idea)","summary":"By Melissa Kempkes ","date_modified":"2026-02-20T20:06:04Z"}]}