If you don't need money, investors will be more eager to give it to you, so structure your company to minimize initial expenses.

If you find a lead investor, the lead often wants to invest the entire amount to meet their ownership target, which can limit your options.

Investors know that founders want high valuations and often leverage this by offering a desired valuation while asking for unfavorable terms.

For tiny startups, investors may not fund them anyway, so it's important to say what they want to hear to capture their interest for future opportunities.

It's often harder to raise a small amount of money than a larger round because of the expectations that come with higher valuations.

Investors often say no because they have limited budgets and are looking for opportunities that seem like the best fit for their investment strategy.

As a first-time founder, you're unlikely to negotiate as effectively as an experienced investor who deals with multiple companies.

In a non-priced round, investors often have a valuation cap that sets an upper limit on the company's valuation for future share conversions, rewarding early investors with more shares if the company grows significantly.

A lot of partnerships can cap your upside and limit your ability to iterate, which is a common mistake startups make.