Ask a Seed VC: How much should I try to raise?

Welcome back to Ask a Seed VC, our advice column on startup fundraising and investing. We’ll be doing something a little different today: Answering a few questions that were submitted via Twitter.

The first question comes from Howard Stark: How do you determine your “ask”? That number can range from $200k for a bare bones attempt where one mistake can kill you to $1M for a comfortable shot at your goal with room to maneuver. Or should you fit your ask to each VC’s preferred check size?