Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on Youtube.
Timestamps
0:00 - Even a 6X YoY growth company faces a tough Series A today
1:05 - Investors expect companies much further along by Series A now
7:35 - Companies can do more with less: smaller teams, faster iteration, AI acceleration
7:53 - Cheaper to build means higher investor expectations for what you've built
8:36 - Fundraising ladder compressing: pre-seed/seed/growth -> Series A looks like old Series B
11:41 - Don't assume a Series A will arrive 18-30 months after your seed
12:00 - Stay lean, protect cash, avoid overstaffing before growth materialises
12:52 - Build a plan that doesn't require a Series A: raise on your terms, not cornered
The Series A ladder hasn't disappeared, it's just moved: founders raising seed today are expected to hit traction that used to define a Series A. David and Rhys unpack why the bar has risen so sharply: seed rounds now behave like the old Series A, pre-seed to seed can mean €5-11M raised before founders even reach "Series A territory", and AI-first companies are bending the sequence entirely.
The takeaway: stop planning around an 18-24 month Series A timeline after your seed, stay lean, and raise on your terms, not under pressure.
Links
In Plain Sight - Do doctors still need 6 years of training to qualify?
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