Marketing @Wefunder | Writing @Founder Secrets

Manuel Bleve

I guess we can make it official, I'm joining beehiiv 🐝

Crazy to think this was happening 2 years ago

Week 2 at beehiiv. I already knew the product was world class. Now I can tell you the team is too. Honestly not sure how anyone would even try to compete with us

This is one of the most bittersweet things I've ever written.

I'm leaving Wefunder. And it feels so freaking weird to say it out loud.

I still remember meeting the team for the first time after writing a pretty aggressive newsletter about Startengine's ridiculous funding round.

(Always hated those guys. Even before joining Wefunder)

I was just a dude in college writing about my startup investments from a little town in southern Italy, with no formal investing education. I can steel feel the imposter syndrome kicking in even six years later.

I will be forever grateful to Wefunder for giving me the opportunity to join them despite being 10,000 km apart and having no serious track record or references.

And I will be forever grateful to Jonny for being an amazing leader. And most importantly, a real friend. I'll never forget you flying out all the way from Nashville to this little town in southern Italy just to come to my wedding (and somehow ending up hugging my wife's uncle on the dance floor)

I know you'll miss me and your "work trips" to Puglia.

There are so many other people I'd like to shout out. Too many to include here. But Jake, keep being the coolest dude at Wefunder. Justin, keep being the passionate, volatile, intense, and hands down one of the most interesting people at Wefunder. Joe, I'll miss our 30-min chats that always became 2-hour chats. Suzanna, somehow it still feels insanely weird that you're not Wefunder's president anymore!!! Haley, I'll keep watching all your comedy shows. You're a fucking legend. And it'll feel so cool to say I knew you before you got famous!! Christopher, hands down the coolest lawyer in SF. I'll miss our ping-pong matches!! 

I'll miss all of you guys so much.

I'll forever be a Wefunder and community rounds fan.

(If you're a founder reading this, go launch your community round on Wefunder!!!)

And to all the young dudes thinking about getting into startups, do yourself a favor and try to get into Wefunder. I don't think there is any other place on earth where you can just take your raw talent and make some very crazy shit happen.

Goodbye, Wefunder ❤️

P.S. As for what's next, I'll write a little more in the next few days. But just funny to think how it all started with newsletters, and it's all changing because of... well... newsletters!!

beehiiv this, beehiiv that… what if I just shut up and build something on it from scratch? Like a real media brand. In public. Documenting everything. Should I do it? 👀

Hey there 👋

I help amazing startups connect with investors who truly understand their vision and market potential.

As Founder of Market Chemistry, I've spent years building relationships across the startup ecosystem - from early and growth-stage founders to seasoned investors. 

I believe that when founders have the right financial backing and strategic support, they can focus on what they do best: building and scaling.

What drives me is seeing founders get the resources they need to turn breakthrough ideas, products, and services into market-changing companies.

My core values guide everything I do: take extreme ownership, growth is compounding, think independently, and care relentlessly.

Cate Diaz

February punished weak crowdfunding campaigns FAST

According to the Kingscrowd report today:

👉 Reg CF campaigns raised $21.95 million from 10,215 investors.

(That was 9.5% lower than January...)

👉 Investor participation fell even harder.

👉 The money that stayed active went into fewer deals.

Wefunder, DealMaker, and StartEngine captured most of the funding.

Companies like Pirouette Pharma and Green Coffee Company still pulled strong investor demand.

Reg A added another $45.78 million during the month.

Total tracked crowdfunding investment passed $67 million.

Founders SHOULD read this carefully:

- Investors are backing deals that already look prepared.
- Traction matters before launch.
- Marketing matters once the round opens.

Founder @ Market Chemistry | Building Fundraising Ecosystems For Startups | $225M Raised

Founders ask me how to make investors move faster.

You don’t.

You create a moment where they’re scared someone else will.

That’s the entire strategy ✍

Founders keep asking how to create movement in a raise.

👇👇👇

You need ONE real investor to take the first step.

Everything else is cosplay.

Nothing humbles you faster than an investor who says

“We love what you’re building. Keep us updated.”

Translation

 “I will absolutely ignore you and reappear when TechCrunch writes about you.”

Nothing changes investor tone faster than:

“We just closed our lead.”

Suddenly:
- calendars open
- diligence speeds up
- “circling back” becomes “ready to move.”

Conviction is contagious.

Almost nobody asks investors the questions that matter.

Want to know how they'll act once the check clears? 

Address these 3 topics:

1. How do you define success for companies like mine?
2. What do you actually do when things go wrong?
3. How involved are you after the check clears?

If you don't ask, you'll find out the hard way.

Misaligned investor fit is a slow death for startups.

Why your messages to investors get ghosted

👇👇👇

You send out pitch after pitch

With no replies...

Because you're not thinking from the investor's perspective.

DON'T spend your time writing long, generic messages to anyone with a venture title and pray something sticks. 

(Or worse, automating the generic blast)

Investors get those every day and it clogs their inbox with (usually) thesis-mismatched candidates.

THIS is how you do it:

1️⃣ Research a shortlist of investors who fit your industry, stage, check size, and deal type. 

𝘗𝘳𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘱: 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯, 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 1 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 12 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴.

2️⃣ Show them you know there's thesis alignment (and that you are reaching out to them specifically)
3️⃣ Share super brief recent traction
4️⃣ Ask to share more (don't just sling a deck in message 1)

And most importantly:

KEEP IT SHORT 🤠

That's how you get a reply.

Nobody REALLY reads about what you do for work. 

So I made mine a cartoon 😁

I help founders meet investors and raise capital through my work running Market Chemistry. 

Now I want to see yours.

One rule: your cartoon has to show what you actually do for work. Not your headshot. Not your logo. YOU, doing the thing.

Drop it below.

I'll go first. 👇

taplio

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taplio

The Battle

Manuel Bleve

Cate Diaz

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Manuel Bleve's LinkedIn Performance

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