For Founders · Pre-seed & seed

Every founder who applies gets investor built feedback.

Apply

Issue 01.

How It Works

Three steps.

  1. 01

    Apply

    One minute minimum. The more concrete you are, the better the feedback.

  2. 02

    Get your feedback

    Every application is judged against an investor-built rubric, deterministic outcomes from regression patterns, and academic research on startup success and failure. You get written feedback on every section and one thing to fix in each.

  3. 03

    Reapply or get the intro

    Reapply as often as you like as your company grows. When you reach the top tier, I introduce you to a fund looking for what you are building.

What happens

One of two things is true, and we tell you which.

You are not ready yet

You get written feedback on every section, with the specific gaps to close. Fix them and apply again. There is no limit on how often you can come back, and most founders move up within one or two rounds.

You are ready

You get the same written feedback, and an introduction to a fund whose thesis matches what you are building. From then on every new fund that joins sees you, so you never have to start the process again.

A note from Lauren

The best founders rarely get a fair hearing.

Founders almost never hear why a VC passed, and the ones who do hear it get a sentence. We go through every application and write back with detailed investor feedback: where you stand, and the specific gaps to close. Then we want you to come back. The strongest get introduced to a fund.

The Shortlist Team

Apply when you are ready.

Every application is answered in full. There is no cap on attempts.

Apply