“If it’s important, do it now” is written in all caps on the wall of my home office.
Here’s why:
Lessonly announced a series C fundraise a few weeks ago. We raised $15 million to fuel our next stage of growth.
We kicked off the fundraising process in December and completed it in mid-March, right as the coronavirus hit the United States. This was lucky timing. Since then, venture capital investments have either slowed or stopped. Who knows what would have happened had we started fundraising any later . . .
And the truth is, we almost did start fundraising later—because of me. Back in December, I was sitting in my office with Conner, Lessonly’s president, and Brian, Lessonly’s CFO. After many discussions, we had officially decided to raise more capital. With the holidays fast approaching, the question was, When do we start? I said something to the effect of, “Let’s kick it off after the new year.” I was looking forward to a relaxing holiday, and I imagined most investors would soon be on vacation. But Brian and Conner suggested we start right away. Hit it head-on. Their sentiment was If it’s important, let’s do it now.
We agreed it was important. So we didn’t wait. We got several offers in December. One from AXA Venture Partners, who ended up leading the round.
Conner and Brian had the right instinct. I am so grateful they did. The world can change in an instant. This was a gut-punch reminder for me to never assume something important can wait.
If it’s important, do it now.
Thank you for reading,
Max
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