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The truth is, Capitaly.vc wasn’t started as a business.

It was built out of frustration.

This post is the behind-the-scenes look at how we went from struggling to raise a round — to building the platform that’s helping hundreds of founders do it better, faster, and cheaper.

Here’s how it happened.

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1. We Were Founders, Not Fundraisers

We weren’t ex-VCs. We weren’t consultants. We were just two founders trying to raise our first serious round.

We had a solid product, early traction, and a growing customer base.

But the fundraising process? A black box.

2. The Deck Wasn’t Enough

We spent weeks crafting a pitch deck.

Everyone said, “You need a killer deck.”

We sent it out.

Crickets.

3. Warm Intros Were a Fantasy

We didn’t go to Stanford.

We didn’t have YC badges.

We didn’t have VCs in our contacts list.

So the “warm intros only” advice? Completely useless.

4. We Tried Hiring Help — Big Mistake

So we hired a fundraising advisor.

$10,000+ later, we had… one deck revision, a few vague investor leads, and zero results.

That’s when we realized: we needed to own this process ourselves.

5. We Started Building Our Own Playbook

We stopped outsourcing.

We started building systems:

• Investor targeting spreadsheets
• Cold email templates
• CRM pipelines
• Follow-up frameworks
• Deck iteration loops

We tested everything ourselves.

6. The First Breakthrough: 1 Cold Email = 1 Term Sheet

After 47 failed emails, we sent one that got a “Yes.”

That template became part of the Capitaly cold outreach kit.

See it here: 15 Best Cold Email Templates for Investor Outreach

7. The Second Breakthrough: Build a CRM, Not a Spreadsheet

We moved from messy Google Sheets to a custom fundraising CRM.

That CRM became the seed for Capitaly’s platform.

Learn more: Fundraising CRM for Startups: The Ultimate Guide

8. We Documented Everything — Then Open-Sourced It

We created a 60-page Notion doc of playbooks, templates, and workflows.

Other founders started asking for access.

We published it on Substack.

That’s when things took off.

9. Capitaly Became a Movement, Not a Product

We weren’t selling software.

We were solving a shared pain.

And thousands of founders showed up.

10. The First 100 Founders: Real, Scrappy, Global

They weren’t in Silicon Valley.

They were everywhere.

• Bootstrapped SaaS founders in Spain
• Ecom builders in Sydney
• AI hackers in Nigeria
• Deep tech founders in Eastern Europe

They didn’t want theory — they wanted results.

11. AI Changed the Game (So We Built With It)

We started training GPT agents to write follow-ups, personalize outreach, and auto-tag investor personas.

Suddenly, one founder could do the work of a 5-person BD team.

12. Our Mission Became Crystal Clear

Help founders raise capital faster — without consultants, fluff, or warm intros.

Everything we built pointed back to that.

13. No More “Pitch Us” — We’re Pitching Founders Now

We flipped the model.

We don’t ask founders to apply.

We build for them first — then earn their trust.

14. Capitaly.vc Today = Substack + CRM + Community

The platform is now 3 things:

• Content: 200+ posts, templates, playbooks
• CRM: Streamlined investor pipeline tools
• Community: Founder calls, workshops, Slack-style support

15. You Don’t Need to Be Well-Connected to Win

You just need a system that works.

That’s what Capitaly is.

16. From Frustration to Foundation

This platform exists because we hit every wall and decided to build a better way.

It’s not theory. It’s blood, sweat, spreadsheets, and templates.

17. The Playbook We Needed Is Now Yours

We wish this existed when we started.

Now it does.

And it’s open to you.

18. You Don’t Need to Hire a Consultant

You need:

• 1 clear pitch
• 1 outbound workflow
• 1 CRM system
• 1 supportive community

That’s Capitaly.

19. You Can Start in 24 Hours

Not months.

Not after “onboarding.”

Just subscribe, open the playbook, and get to work.

20. This Is Just the Beginning

We’re building:

• AI-assisted CRMs
• Dealflow automations
• Investor matching by thesis
• Templates for every funding stage

And we’re building it all for founders.

FAQs: The Capitaly.vc Origin Story

1. Who started Capitaly.vc?
Founders who were tired of gatekeeping and fluff in fundraising.

2. What does Capitaly mean?
It’s capital + playbook. A faster, founder-first way to raise money.

3. Is this a real startup or just content?
It’s both. Capitaly is a platform, CRM, and Substack-based community.

4. Do I need to be technical?
Nope. Our tools are designed for first-time, non-technical, global founders.

5. Can I use Capitaly even if I’m pre-revenue?
Yes — we help idea-stage, seed-stage, and growth-stage founders.

6. What’s included when I subscribe?
You get access to CRM tools, investor lists, outreach scripts, deck help, and live founder calls.

7. Is Capitaly a VC fund?
No. We’re not investors. We help founders raise — faster and smarter.

8. Is this global or US-only?
Capitaly is global — we’ve helped founders raise from Singapore to Serbia.

9. Is the content really free?
Yes — 90% is on https://capitaly.substack.com

10. Can I contribute my own fundraising story?
Yes — just reply on Substack or DM us to share how Capitaly helped you raise.

Conclusion: Capitaly.vc Was Built By Founders, For Founders — Period.

Capitaly.vc exists because we couldn’t find the playbook we needed.

So we built it — and now, it’s helping thousands raise capital faster, without fluff.

Whether you're just starting or stuck mid-round, the system we wish we had is now yours.

Subscribe to Capitaly.vc Substack (https://capitaly.substack.com/) to raise capital at the speed of AI.

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