Alexey Bashkirov — a private investor and founder of the Donum charitable initiative — shares practical advice for young startups aiming to capture investor attention. In the tech world, securing funding is often critical to scale and survive, but it’s not just about building an innovative product. Founders must also learn how to present their vision clearly and credibly to investors.
1. A Business Plan Is More Than a Formality — It’s a Strategic Tool
One of the most common pitfalls among early-stage startups is the inability to forecast revenue and expenses accurately. Bashkirov emphasizes that a robust, realistic business plan is not optional — it’s essential. He points to three critical functions of a well-crafted plan:
- Realistic Projections: Many founders are overly optimistic — hiring aggressively, scaling too fast, and banking on hypergrowth. While ambition is good, most investors prefer a strategy grounded in steady, sustainable growth.
- Communication Tool: Your business plan is not just for internal use. It should clearly convey financial projections and milestones to help investors form accurate expectations and build trust.
- Discipline Framework: Internally, it keeps your team focused and aligned, providing a reference point for strategic decisions and pivots when market conditions shift.
2. The Power of a Balanced Founding Team
Investors don’t just back ideas — they back people. According to Alexey Bashkirov, a strong founding team typically includes two core roles:
- The Visionary/Sales Lead: This person drives the company’s outward presence — pitching to investors, talking to customers, shaping the product vision, and steering growth.
- The Operator/Analyst: The second co-founder keeps the engine running — managing execution, timelines, hiring, operations, and making sure the company stays grounded.
Bashkirov notes that it’s common for one of these profiles to be stronger than the other — but when the team is unbalanced, it shows. Investors want to see complementary skills and operational cohesion.
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3. What Early-Stage Investors Really Look For
At the seed stage, financial data alone rarely tells the full story. Bashkirov outlines the top three things investors typically evaluate:
- Founder and Team Quality: A founder with a proven track record or prior startup experience reduces risk. They’ve already faced hard decisions and know how to build relationships and raise capital.
- Adaptability: Startups operate in chaos. Teams that can rapidly adjust strategies in response to shifting markets, feedback, or failure are more likely to survive.
- Market and Tech Awareness: Investors want to see that the team not only understands current trends but also has a clear view of where the market is headed — and how their product fits into that future.
4. Final Thoughts: What Captures an Investor’s Attention?
Building a successful startup is about much more than just having a great idea. Bashkirov Alexey stresses that what truly wins investors over is the ability to:
- Plan and forecast realistically
- Use resources wisely
- Pivot quickly when necessary
In his view, startups that strike the right balance between ambition and execution — between bold vision and operational excellence — are the ones that truly stand out in a competitive landscape.
