Bridge the Gap from “Good Idea” to “Funded Company”

I help pre-seed founders raise their first 500k to 1.5M from angels, even if they do not have a strong investor network yet.

Explore the ways we can work together.

"Lance Cottrell can identify the superpowers in a founding team and bring them to the surface like none other."

-Torrey Smith - CEO Endiatx

The 12-week sprint to a fundable pre-seed round

The Founder Quest Intensive is my flagship small group program for serious pre-seed founders.

Over 12 weeks, we work together to turn your company into a fundable pre-seed deal that angels can say yes to.

We focus on:

• Validating the right signals, not vanity metrics

• Sharpening your market map and business model

• Fixing your go-to-market strategy so it matches your growth story

• Crafting a story, deck, and data room that can survive investor scrutiny

• Running a structured outreach process to connect with the right investors

The Intensive is best for founders who plan to raise 500k to 1.5M from angels in the next 6 to 18 months and are ready to do the work.

A 60 minute deep dive into your funding strategy

Stop guessing what investors want.

In this 60-minute working session, we diagnose your fundability and map a concrete plan for your 500k to 1.5M raise.

You get:

Pre-call audit: I review your deck, website, and traction data
A 60-minute Zoom session focused on your company and your round
A written Strategic Brief within 24 hours, with clear action items for the next 90 days

The fee is $500. If you later join The Founder Quest Intensive or move into ongoing advisory with me, I will apply the full amount as a credit.

Not Ready Yet? Start here.

If you are still validating your idea or just getting oriented, start with my free Feel the Boot content.

You will find videos, blogs, and podcast episodes on fundraising, pitching, and startup strategy.

These are a great way to climb the early part of the learning curve before you are ready for a program or advisory.

High Impact Advice

"In a wild-west of Advisors ... Lance is an expert, high-caliber, high-integrity, highly-effective and truly cares about the companies he works with."

Laura Bloomer - CEO/Founder Redaim
"Lance’s guidance was invaluable for us. He quickly identified the key strengths of our pitch and showed us how to clarify our story in a way that truly resonates with investors."

Rishabh Gupta - Co-Founder Actuality
"His clarity of thought and focus on the key drivers of a business have proven to be invaluable to my team and me."

Chase Palmieri - CEO Credder
"Lance Cottrell can identify the superpowers in a founding team and bring them to the surface like none other."

Torrey Smith - CEO Endiatx

"In a wild-west of Advisors ... Lance is an expert, high-caliber, high-integrity, highly-effective and truly cares about the companies he works with."