What would you do if you spent two years working relentlessly on a startup idea only to realize no one wants it? That’s exactly what happened to Basel Fakhoury before he and his co-founders scrapped their first business and pivoted to User Interviews, a platform that has now raised $45 million in venture capital. In this episode of High Stakes, Paige Soya sits down with Basel to break down what it really takes to raise money from VCs, from navigating rejections to mastering the fundraising narrative. They cover the art of building investor relationships (spoiler alert: it’s a long game!), the must-have data points and deal terms that can make or break a pitch, why a strong financial story matters just as much as traction, and how User Interviews transitioned from a scrappy Craigslist hustle to a SaaS powerhouse. Plus, Basel shares the biggest mistake he made as a founder and the fundraising strategy that changed everything.Key Points From This Episode:• Focusing on things you can control: what it takes to raise venture capital.• What investors actually look for and how to make it easier for them to say yes.• The psychology behind a VC’s biggest fear (and how to leverage it).• Why warm introductions and investor networks are crucial.• Reasons that transparency and consistency are key in VC due diligence.• Red flags that make term sheets a dealbreaker for founders and funders.• One thing that VCs really want to know: can you do it again?Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:User InterviewsBasel Fakhoury on LinkedInBasel Fakhoury on XEntrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)The Lean StartupPaige SoyaK Street CapitalK Street Capital on YouTube

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