How I Raised $1.5M as a Solo Woman Founder: 14 Steps You Might Need to Know
Reposting a 2020 viral tweet
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Embrace the late. The past week has been particularly rough, pulling me away from my love of writing this stack. I’ll spare you the details (unless you follow my Notes), but I’m hopeful we’re back on track for this first week of November. My writing is fresh, bold, and inspired—capturing what’s on my mind at the moment. I don’t keep an archive of pre-written content; I write in the moment. This week, I dipped into some of my older, popular posts to find something special to share. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
When I raised $1.5M in 2020, I was steeped in a sense of shame. I was crossing from my life in the design and art world into the tech and business industry, and it felt foreign, even ‘wrong.’ Most of my friends were artists, and I struggled with how this shift fit into my identity. Only 2% of women receive venture capital for their companies, and as a solo woman founder, that number was even more uncommon [Harvard Kennedy School]. I didn’t post about the raise, didn’t celebrate it publicly, and avoided gloating.
In hindsight, it was probably for the best. The decision to raise venture capital came with both benefits and challenges. At the time, it felt worth it—the chance to take the money, build something meaningful for the queer community, and hire from within that community. But looking back, the cost of taking that money was significant, both for me and perhaps for Lex. That was the choice I made, and here we are. For more details on the complexities of that decision, I’ve shared further thoughts here.
In 2020, I shared a viral Twitter thread detailing my journey to raising $1.5M for my app, Lex. Here, I’ve expanded that story with added context and tips to help you navigate your own path.
1. Coming Out and Building Community
Six years ago, I came out and felt an immediate disconnect from the queer community around me. That same year, I decided to take action by creating an Instagram account, @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y, to share all the fascinating queer culture I was discovering. To my surprise, it resonated deeply, and the community quickly grew to 165,000 followers. This account became a touchstone for queer stories and culture, gaining attention from major media outlets and sparking connections worldwide.
2. Finding Inspiration in Archives
One day, while browsing a digital archive, I stumbled upon issues of On Our Backs, a lesbian erotica magazine that thrived in the 1980s and 90s. Each issue featured personal ads—funny, bold, and raw—submitted by its readers. I was struck by how these ads brought people together and realized that this old-school method could be revived for the digital age.
3. Using Free Tools to Start
In 2017, I invited the @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y community to submit their own personals inspired by the magazine. With no budget, I turned to free tools: Google Forms for submissions and Google Docs to format the ads. The simplicity worked. Personal ads flooded in, and the community response was incredible.
4. Organic Press for Authentic Stories
Queer people started finding partners, friends, and community through these personals, and the buzz grew. We attracted attention from The New York Times, Wired, Buzzfeed, and more—all without any PR spend. The narrative of connection resonated, proving that press loves love stories.
5. Finding Free Business Mentors
I wanted to build an app but had no clue where to begin. Overwhelmed, I turned to SCORE NYC, a free resource that connects entrepreneurs with mentors. Shout-out to Carolyn, a retired Goldman Sachs executive who took me under her wing. Her mentorship was pivotal in navigating the unknowns of early-stage development.
6. The Push to Monetize
Carolyn suggested I start charging a $5 fee for personals to be posted—an idea that changed everything. Submissions didn’t just continue; they increased by 73%. This move was essential in showing investors that the concept had real value and that users were willing to pay for it.
7. Running a Kickstarter Campaign
By 2018, I knew Personals needed to evolve into a full-fledged app. I launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising $47,000—a rare success for an app-focused project. Kickstarter’s endorsement was a game-changer, providing credibility and community support.
8. Saving and Smart Hiring
I saved money from $5 submissions and hosted fundraising parties to keep building momentum. Eventually, I posted an ad on AngelList looking for a developer and found Rafał, a queer angel investor passionate about the mission. Friends chipped in to help design the app, turning a collective vision into a reality.
9. Balancing a Day Job
Throughout this journey, I worked full-time as the Photo Director at an architecture and design magazine. I loved that job, but it required juggling priorities and burning the midnight oil to keep Personals moving forward.
10. Launching the MVP
In November 2019, we released the MVP of what would become Lex. It succeeded largely due to the existing community—the same people who had funded and championed the project from the start.
11. Leveraging Warm Intros
Thanks to the buzz around Personals and the press coverage, I secured warm introductions to other women founders who connected me with VCs. Relationships were built on shared experiences and mutual support.
12. Landing the Lead Investor
The day I secured a lead investor was monumental. Female-focused VC firms and angels valued the grassroots community I had nurtured and saw its potential.
13. Embracing My Inner Outsider
One of the most important lessons? Don’t fake it. I didn’t have an MBA or a background in tech—I went to art school. Embracing my outsider status gave me the confidence to show up authentically in meetings with investors from Harvard, Google, and Stanford. I leaned into being the art school weirdo wanting to shake things up.
14. Gratitude and Community
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported me, especially Anita, who helped with @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y in its early days and became Lex’s Social and Brand Manager. She even taught me how to navigate Twitter.
The journey to raising $1.5M was anything but linear. I hope these insights can serve as a roadmap, reminder, or inspiration for anyone forging their own path.
(Referenced from my 2020 Twitter thread)