Financings 101: The Raise Playbook
Financings 101: What Early-Stage Founders Need to Know
Raising capital can be one of the most exciting—and intimidating—parts of building a startup. Join Craig Sherman, Partner at Wilson Sonsini, as he breaks down the essentials every founder should know before taking on outside investment, with practical insights you can use right away.
We’ll cover:
When to raise, and how much: Timing your round, setting a target size, and thinking through runway and milestones (with real-world examples).
Understanding SAFEs, convertible notes, and priced rounds: What’s market right now, what’s risky, and how dilution and valuation caps really work.
Avoiding legal landmines: Common mistakes, what to read very carefully before signing, and how to clean up your cap table before you raise.
Navigating investor conversations: Smart questions to ask, red flags to watch for, and how to stay in control of your raise.
We’ll wrap with a live Q&A and networking so you can get your specific questions answered and connect with fellow founders.
Agenda:
3:00–3:20 PM — Arrivals & settle in
3:20–4:10 PM — Workshop
4:10–4:30 PM — Q&A
4:30–5:00 PM — Networking
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on the technology industry. Beginning over 60 years ago in Silicon Valley, the firm has represented more venture-backed companies and technology companies going public than any other law firm in the country. Wilson Sonsini represented Apple, Netscape, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, Roblox, Square and hundreds of other companies in their successful IPOs, and has been the largest Silicon Valley-based law firm in Seattle for over 25 years.
Craig Sherman is a partner at Wilson Sonsini in Seattle, where he focuses on corporate and securities laws, representing startup technology companies from incorporation, through angel and venture financings, M&A, initial public offerings and beyond. For over 35 years, he has provided business and legal advisory service to growing companies in the Pacific Northwest, throughout the U.S., and internationally.