Helping Startups Start Up

We talked to Jason Kraus of Prepare 4 VC on how the firm is bridging the gap between founders and investors during the pandemic times.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Jason Kraus: We are doing well and staying safe. My best wishes go out to you and all of your readers as well!

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded Prepare 4 VC.

Jason Kraus: I have a background in venture capital and angel investing and founded Prepare 4 VC to bridge the gap between founders and investors. The goal is to help startups build their materials and fundraise from the investors’ perspective, standing out from the pile of funding requests investors receive.

How does Prepare 4 VC innovate? 

Jason Kraus: We have expanded from a consulting service that builds out pitch decks and other materials to offer new packages and programming, including a virtual accelerator cohort with investor demo days. 

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Jason Kraus: Luckily, our team was set up for remote projects already, working via online meetings, Slack chats, Google docs, etc. We also launched our virtual accelerator program during the pandemic, and both startups and investors were beginning to crave more resources online.

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Jason Kraus: We wish we could help every company, and right now, startups and small businesses need support more than ever. It is always difficult to prioritize, but we realized that if we focus our efforts on the companies we can add the most value to will lead to happy clients. 

How do you deal with stress and anxiety? How do you project yourself and Prepare $ VC in the future?

Jason Kraus: I think some stress and anxiety is necessary for every startup and keeps you motivated to perform for your clients. Having a strong team that I can rely on has also helped manage stress with multiple projects, deadlines, and prospecting. I also focus on scheduling calls and meetings during the 9 AM-6 PM window and save smaller and less urgent tasks for the evenings.

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Jason Kraus: We are a company focused on helping startups grow, scale, and fundraise and view most of our competitors as partners or potential partners where we can all add various levels of expertise or share deal flow. These include startup consulting firms and agencies, individual advisors, education programs, and accelerators. 

Your final thoughts?

Jason Kraus: Every economic downtown produces amazing startups, including Airbnb and Uber, from the 2008 crisis. Some readers here may be working on the early stages of a huge idea and need a little push to get going. You can do it, and there are plenty of resources to help you along the startup journey!

Your website?

http://prepare4vc.com