Walter

17 y/o, ecom and $2m valuation AI saas

[Walter @chinkecom]

@vitaliidodonov MRR

[Walter @chinkecom]

@Hyde_ai3 Nano

[Walter @chinkecom]

@AiwithTyler SYSTEM

[Walter @chinkecom]

@everestchris6 BOT

[Walter @chinkecom]

@georgesttock MAKE

[Walter @chinkecom]

@FynCas 600

[Walter @chinkecom]

@spwfeijen UGC

[Walter @chinkecom]

I like hit dogs fir the shape not the taste

[Walter @chinkecom]

@damienghader @Lovable Design System

[Walter @chinkecom]

founders who've never raised always talk about "storytelling"

meanwhile the guy who just closed $3M seed told me his exact process:

"deck goes out monday before 10am, 11 slides, slide 5 has the revenue chart showing 28% month-over-month, slide 8 names your top 3 customers, ask is $2.1M at $10M post, meetings happen tuesday through thursday only"

notice how one group speaks in motivational bullshit and the other speaks in timestamps and slide numbers

every funded founder i've met can tell you their exact sequence

the ones still "networking" speak in concepts like "finding the right fit"

here's what's actually useless:

"get warm intros" - okay from who and what do i say
"show product market fit" - what metrics prove that
"demonstrate your unfair advantage" - with what specific evidence

here's what's actually useful:

"email list of 80 investors, personalize line 1 with recent portfolio company, send deck as pdf not link, follow up in 72 hours if ignored"

"revenue growing above 20% monthly for 4+ months, retention above 85%, at least one customer paying $5k+ annually"

"founder previously scaled company to $10M ARR, technical cofounder shipped product at [known company], advisor who sold to [acquirer]"

if they can't give you the exact investor list size, follow up window, and specific metrics to hit

they haven't closed a round

they're just repeating advice from twitter threads written by VCs who've never been founders

the biggest tell is when someone says "just focus on building a great product"

translation: i have no idea how fundraising actually works

[Walter @chinkecom]

how i know someone's never gonna make it:

- waking up at 5am but still broke
- waiting for the "perfect time" to launch
- reading 50 business books but building nothing
- pivoting every 3 weeks when things get hard
- calling themselves CEO of a $0 company
- complicated notion dashboards instead of customer calls
- asking for feedback from people who've never done it
- building in stealth mode for 2 years
- celebrating small wins that don't move revenue

[Walter @chinkecom]

people who need "work life balance" are never gonna make it

you're telling everyone "i need a break from my own dreams"

if you require balance you picked the wrong business

balance is what employees need because they hate their job

i assume you have no vision

i assume you're building something you don't believe in

i assume you'll quit when it gets hard

how can you beat someone working 80 hours if you tap out at 40

[Walter @chinkecom]

@Jacobsklug Build

[Walter @chinkecom]

you don’t need a female attention

you dont need a lambo

you don’t need a miami high rise

all you need is:
- 2 hours of gym
- ⁠2 hours of boxing
- ⁠and 12 hours of working

every single day.

that’s all you need.

[Walter @chinkecom]

@damienghader @Lovable Cheat Sheet

[Walter @chinkecom]

I raised multiple six figures in 4 weeks of launching a startup at 17.

not here to brag, but because every day I see founders desperate to raise money without understanding what it actually takes.

here’s what you need to know before you try to raise a dollar:

 1.⁠ ⁠investors bet on you first
your clarity, confidence and ability to communicate matter more than your pitch deck.

most early cheques come from conviction, not spreadsheets.

 2.⁠ ⁠traction beats storytelling
you can have the prettiest deck on earth, but if nobody uses your product, it means nothing.

even tiny but consistent traction is better than a 60 slide fantasy.

 3.⁠ ⁠warm intros still matter
nobody likes hearing it, but it is true.

your chances multiply when someone credible vouches for you.

build your network before you fundraise, not during it.

 4.⁠ ⁠simplify your pitch

most founders drown investors in complexity.

if you cannot explain your startup in 20 seconds, the problem is on your side, not theirs.

 5.⁠ ⁠be honest about weaknesses

investors can smell BS instantly.

if you are open about what you need help with, the right investors lean in, not out.

 6.⁠ ⁠speed is a signal

fast founders get funded.

reply fast, iterate fast, send updates fast.

momentum is something you show, not something you claim.

 7.⁠ ⁠build FOMO ethically

nothing closes a round faster than other people showing interest.

share progress, keep investors updated and create energy without exaggerating.

 8.⁠ ⁠do not fundraise with a leaky bucket
if retention is weak or users never return, fix that first.

fundraising amplifies what already exists, good or bad.

 9.⁠ ⁠raise the minimum needed to hit the next milestone

not the amount that makes you comfortable.

comfort kills urgency and urgency is what keeps teams sharp.

10.⁠ ⁠understand raising money changes your job

after the money hits, expectations change.

your focus shifts from survival to delivering on promises.

raising is not an achievement, it is a responsibility.

fundraising looks great on X, but only raise if you know why you are doing it.

if you choose to raise, do it with intention, not desperation.

[Walter @chinkecom]

@karthikponna19 rookie

[Walter @chinkecom]

@fidexcode if u have more than 2 monitors there is something wrong wit u

[Walter @chinkecom]

4. ⁠Every year you wait costs you

This won't last forever.

In 5 years I'll have more responsibilities, more people depending on me, more reasons to play it safe.

Right now failure literally costs me nothing except time.

By the time most people are "ready" to take risks, they've built a life that punishes them for it.

The window is smaller than you think.

Use it or lose

[Walter @chinkecom]

I’m still in high school in the UK, raised multi six-figures in 4 weeks and my company is now valued at $2M+. All while being 17 years old.

Here are some things I’ve learned in 2025 (thread):

[Walter @chinkecom]

3.⁠ ⁠Speed is your only real advantage

Big companies can't move like you can right now.

They have board meetings, compliance checks, legal reviews.

You can test, fail, and pivot three times before they finish one planning session.

The moment you start thinking like them is the moment you lose.