The Tao of Fundraising: The Science, Philosophy, and Psychology Behind Attracting Capital - Hardcover

by John Kim (Author), Seth Libby (With)

Now a USA TODAY Best Seller!

A masterclass in persuasion, performance, and psychology, The Tao of Fundraising reveals how to navigate the invisible forces of human nature and capital flow to transform great ideas into fully funded ventures.

The Tao of Fundraising delivers a blunt but necessary truth: the best ideas often go unfunded--not because they're bad, but because their creators don't understand how capital flows.

Fundraising is the most neglected art in modern business. Most MBA courses and coaching advice focus on what to do after a business has secured investment. The Tao of Fundraising seeks to fill that void.

No one understands fundraising like John Kim, who has used these concepts to raise more than $70 billion over the course of his career. Here, he lays out all the concepts that allowed him to rise to the top of the fundraising world.

One part how-to, one part psychological study, and one part spiritual guide, The Tao breaks down the fundraising process and all the skills necessary to convince skeptical investors to place their money in your business.

To overcome a system designed to keep money out of reach and the natural hesitancy of investors, you need:

• The conceptual frameworks to understand how fundraising works in practice.
• The practical processes that allow a fundraiser to "sell" their investment.
• The psychological principles that enable a fundraiser to persuade skeptical investors to ignore their fears and trust the investment.
• The performance skills to close the deal.

Drawing from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, economics, and decades of frontline experience, Kim reveals the deeper dynamics that drive fundraising at the highest level.

This isn't just a book about money--it's a masterclass in human nature and the invisible forces that separate good ideas from funded ones.

Author Biography

John Kim is one of the world's top fundraisers. He is currently the chairman and president of corporate development at Lila Sciences, a technology company developing a "Scientific Super Intelligence" platform--combining advanced AI with real-world laboratory automation to dramatically accelerate scientific discoveries. He was previously the chief client officer at the global venture capital firm General Catalyst and has also worked for world-class investment firms such as J.P. Morgan, Court Square Capital, and Kelso & Company.

John graduated from Brown University magna cum laude with a degree in economics and began his career as a marketing representative at IBM. It was at this early stage that he became interested in the art of persuasion and the ideas that would eventually become The Tao of Fundraising.

After receiving his MBA from Harvard University, John moved into fundraising for private equity where he excelled at building authentic, meaningful connections with investors and business leaders, helping facilitate the funding of some of the most exciting advances in science, industry, and finance.

John lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Jodi, and their three children. He holds a purple belt in jiu jitsu and supports several organizations devoted to education for underprivileged kids in the area. In his free time, he likes to spend time out on the water, strum his guitar and start a singalong with friends, and enjoy a good slice of pizza (New York style, of course).

Seth Libby is a professional ghostwriter. He has written or edited more than fifty published books over the past decade. He is the co-author of Byline: How Local Journalists Can Improve the Global News Industry and Change the World.

He lives in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife and two children.