Raising capital for a startup isn’t easy. I should know. I’ve been on these quests and have sat on opposite sides of many fundraising conversations.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, I was a venture capital investor whose job it was to judge whether a startup was “investable.” For years, I made decisions about the work and dreams of other entrepreneurs. Today, as the CEO of a five-year-old fintech startup, I’m the one trying to convince investors to invest in my dream.

We have been successful in raising capital, but it certainly required persistence. I’ve gotten used to hearing the word no.