# ThinkLions Blog

> Startup advice for founders. Covering fundraising, pitch decks, product development, app strategy, and growth — written for people actively building companies.

## About

ThinkLions Blog helps startup founders raise money, build products, and grow. Articles are long-form, practitioner-focused guides written by startup consultants.

- URL: https://blog.thinklions.com
- Language: English
- Topics: Fundraising, Pitch Decks, Product Development, App Strategy, Startup Marketing

## Articles

- [Startup Traction: What Investors Actually Want To See](https://blog.thinklions.com/startup-traction): In the fundraising world, the phrase “startup traction” is thrown around constantly. But what is startup traction, and w
- [Investor Metrics: Key SaaS Metrics for Investors](https://blog.thinklions.com/investor-metrics): One of the most common questions founders ask when preparing for fundraising is, “What metrics matter most to VCs?” The 
- [The Founder’s Guide to Startup Investor Relationship Building](https://blog.thinklions.com/startup-investor-relationship-building): If you’re waiting until you actually need funding before you start building investor relationships, you’re making a mist
- [What’s The Best Startup Mentorship for Funding?](https://blog.thinklions.com/best-startup-mentorship-for-funding): Raising capital is one of the hardest parts of building a startup, and many founders turn to mentorship expecting it to 
- [Pitch Deck Slides Explained: What Investors Look For in 2026](https://blog.thinklions.com/pitch-deck-slides): Choosing the right format for your pitch deck is half the battle. These nine slides are essential for any successful pit
- [The Airbnb Pitch Deck: An Expert Breakdown](https://blog.thinklions.com/airbnb-pitch-deck): The Airbnb pitch deck is studied by many startups seeking to impress investors. Check out our breakdown of this fantasti
- [Mobile App Business Plan: How to Build One That Actually Gets Funded](https://blog.thinklions.com/mobile-app-business-plan): A great mobile app business plan requires many special considerations. Find out what it takes to create a plan that impr
- [What Is A Pitch Deck Writer? (And Do You Actually Need One?)](https://blog.thinklions.com/pitch-deck-writer): A pitch deck writer can help you elevate your startup and wow investors. Learn how to evaluate, choose, and hire a pitch
- [Pitch Deck Team Slide: Examples and What Investors Look For](https://blog.thinklions.com/pitch-deck-team-slide): A successful pitch deck team slide could be the difference in fundraising success and failure. Learn how to create this 
- [20 Apps That Made Millions and What Founders Can Learn](https://blog.thinklions.com/apps-that-made-millions): There are millions of apps on the market, but only a few reach success. Learn from these 7 apps that made millions.
- [Seed Funding Explained: What It Is and When to Raise](https://blog.thinklions.com/seed-funding): If you’re wondering what seed funding really requires, and whether your startup is ready for it, understanding the nuanc
- [How VCs Evaluate Startups (And What Founders Miss)](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-vcs-evaluate-startups): Founders often don’t realize how differently investors evaluate their startups. They tend to think venture capital decis
- [Pre-Seed Funding Explained: What It Is and When to Raise](https://blog.thinklions.com/pre-seed-funding): The term “pre-seed funding” only became an officially recognized investment stage between 2013 and 2017. If you’ve never
- [40+ Examples of the Best Pitch Decks Ever](https://blog.thinklions.com/best-pitch-decks): If you’re raising funds, a pitch deck is critical. Here are the 30 best pitch decks and best startup pitch decks o
- [How Do I Know If I’m Ready To Raise Funding?](https://blog.thinklions.com/ready-to-raise-funding): If you’re wondering how to know if you’re ready to raise funding, the answer comes down to signals, not enthusiasm. Cong
- [Expert Tips: How To Launch A Startup](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-launch-a-startup): If you’re a first-time founder, most of what you know about startups is wrong. Learn how to launch a startup with 
- [How To Launch A Tech Startup in 90 Days](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-launch-a-tech-startup): Everyone has a great idea at some point, but most don’t bring it to fruition because they don’t know how to 
- [How To Build A Growth-Oriented Startup Team](https://blog.thinklions.com/build-a-startup-team): It’s easy to look at the media and believe that genius-level sole founders are behind the fast-growing unicorn companies
- [How To Improve Business With Pirate Metrics (AARRR)](https://blog.thinklions.com/pirate-metrics): Pirate metrics (AARRR) is a framework that enables you to monitor customer behavior, reach your objectives, and grow you
- [What Does It Mean to Be A Unicorn Startup Company?](https://blog.thinklions.com/unicorn-startup): A unicorn startup is a young company that is valued at over $1 billion. Learn about today’s unicorns and find out what i
- [App Success Stories: How To Build An Amazing App That Wins](https://blog.thinklions.com/app-success-stories): There are many apps on the market, but few successful ones. Check out these app success stories from entrepreneurs that 
- [How To Write The Most Effective Executive Summary](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-write-an-executive-summary): If you can’t grab an investor’s attention with your executive summary, they’ll never read your busines
- [What Is The Best Business Plan Format?](https://blog.thinklions.com/best-business-plan-format): There are hundreds of business plan format templates online, but here’s the one that we’ve used to raise mil
- [Everything You Need To Know About the Role of CEO](https://blog.thinklions.com/what-is-a-ceo): It’s no secret that everyone wants to be the CEO. A search for “CEO” on LinkedIn pulls up 8.6 million U.S-based users wh
- [The Best App Startup Growth Strategy For Each Business Stage](https://blog.thinklions.com/startup-growth-strategy): Having the best app idea doesn’t matter if you can’t get users to it. Choose the best startup growth strateg
- [Startup Valuation: What Is Your Pre-Revenue Startup Worth?](https://blog.thinklions.com/startup-valuation): You can’t accurately tell investors how much your business is worth without first doing a startup valuation. How m
- [How To Improve Revenue With Mobile App Advertising](https://blog.thinklions.com/mobile-app-advertising): In-app advertising can be a great way to generate additional revenue. However, it can also turn users away from using yo
- [How To Name An App: Tips, Tricks & Expert Secrets](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-name-an-app): If you want your app to be memorable, a name means everything. Learn how to name an app so customers remember you.
- [How To Create A Low-Fidelity Prototype Like An App Expert](https://blog.thinklions.com/low-fidelity-prototype): App development is expensive. Before you build, it’s best to build a prototype to ensure the proper functionality.
- [11 Ways To Ensure A Successful App Launch](https://blog.thinklions.com/successful-app-launch): Launching an app is only a small part of the battle. There are several essential things you need to do before the day of
- [The 5 Best Kickstarter Alternatives for App Startups](https://blog.thinklions.com/kickstarter-alternatives): Kickstarter is the king of crowdfunding, but apps rarely get funded. Check out these five Kickstarter alternatives for a
- [The Most Important App Metrics To Track For Startup Success](https://blog.thinklions.com/important-app-metrics): There are several important app metrics to consider when launching and growing your startup – especially if you’re
- [How To Write A Crowdfunding Campaign That Gets Funded](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-write-a-crowdfunding-campaign): Writing a crowdfunding campaign is important but difficult. You need to choose the right words, provide the right incent
- [How To Start A Tech Company Using Lean Startup](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-start-a-tech-company): New entrepreneurs struggle to bring new technology to life. Find out how to start a tech company using lean startup prin
- [Detroit Startups: Launching Your Tech Startup in the Motor City](https://blog.thinklions.com/detroit-startups): Detroit startups are growing and making waves on a global level. Learn about some of the city’s most successful ne
- [What is a Pitch Deck: A Definitive Guide to Winning Presentations](https://blog.thinklions.com/what-is-a-pitch-deck): A pitch deck can make or break your investor pitch. Check out our tips to creating a pitch deck that captivates angel an
- [How To Create A Dating App That Doesn’t Suck](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-create-a-dating-app): There are a million dating apps on the market, and most of them suck. Learn how to build a dating app that wins.
- [The Best Home Automation Apps To Make Your Life Easier](https://blog.thinklions.com/the-best-home-automation-apps): Home automation makes life so much easier. Read about some of the most intelligent home automation apps on the market to
- [These 7 Blockchain Startups Might Transform The World](https://blog.thinklions.com/blockchain-startups): Blockchain has penetrated some of the largest industries. These 7 blockchain startups might just transform the world.
- [5 Unique And Interesting App Ideas You Can Learn From](https://blog.thinklions.com/interesting-app-ideas): The app market is saturated, and you need to stand out. These five interesting app ideas will inspire you to create some
- [How To Advertise An App For Maximum Exposure](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-advertise-an-app): A great app idea goes to waste if you can’t get users to download it. Learn how to advertise an app and get the do
- [How To Perform A Target Market Analysis For Startups](https://blog.thinklions.com/perform-a-target-market-analysis): You can’t sell your product if you don’t know who you’re selling to. Find out how to perform a target 
- [What Is A SWOT Analysis and How To Perform One](https://blog.thinklions.com/what-is-a-swot-analysis): Knowing your startup’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is essential to growth. Learn how to perf
- [Ask The Experts: How Long Should A Business Plan Be?](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-long-should-a-business-plan-be): You don’t want to turn investors off by giving them a business plan that is too long, but it should be long enough
- [How To Win A Business Plan Contest](https://blog.thinklions.com/business-plan-contest): Winning a business plan contest can help your business earn funds and establish new business relationships with investor
- [How to Make Your App Go Insanely Viral](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-make-an-app-go-viral): It can be challenging to learn how to make an app go viral. Here’s what it takes to get your app in front of milli
- [How To Create A Brand Story That Consumers Can’t Forget](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-create-a-brand-story): Consumers won’t always remember your brand concept, but they’ll always remember your brand story. Check out 
- [How To Design An App That Stands Out](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-design-an-app): If your design doesn’t stand out, users will abandon your app instantly. Learn how to design an app that stands ou
- [What Is Seed Money and Is Your Startup Ready for It?](https://blog.thinklions.com/what-is-seed-money): Seed money can give your startup a boost as you develop your product and launch in the market. But what is seed money, a
- [How To Bounce Back From A Failed Startup Pitch](https://blog.thinklions.com/failed-startup-pitch): Startups often deliver dozens of pitches before raising investment. These steps will help you bounce from a failed start
- [How To Identify The Most Profitable App Business Model](https://blog.thinklions.com/app-business-model): Most apps don’t make money. Follow these steps to find the most profitable app business model and maximize your ap
- [How Hard Is It To Build A Successful App Startup?](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-hard-is-it-to-build-an-app): Launching software sounds difficult, but how hard is it to build an app really? Our experts tell you everything you need
- [What Can An App Incubator Really Do For Your Startup?](https://blog.thinklions.com/app-incubator): It can be challenging to bring a new app idea to the market. Learn how an app incubator can help and whether it is right
- [How To Pitch Investors Like A Seasoned Pro](https://blog.thinklions.com/how-to-pitch-investors): Knowing how to pitch investors can make or break your business. Make sure you know these tips before pitching your start
- [10 of The Most Useful Secrets For Bringing An App Idea to Reality](https://blog.thinklions.com/building-an-app-idea): Launching an app can be challenging. These 10 app entrepreneurs share their secrets for successfully bringing an app ide
- [How To Find App Funding To Develop Your Idea](https://blog.thinklions.com/app-funding): Developing apps is expensive, but fortunately, app funding is out there. Learn about the options you have to fund your a
- [What Does It Take To Be a Successful App Entrepreneur?](https://blog.thinklions.com/app-entrepreneur): Launching an app is tough, but being an entrepreneur is a much bigger challenge. Here is what it takes to be a successfu