How Pre-Seed Founders Get Customer References Without Customers

How do you convince a pre-seed investor you have real traction when you're still building your product? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a practical strategy: gathering customer references before you have customers. They break down the 'Reference Ready' framework — a structured approach that founder Jenna Ruiz used to land a $250,000 pre-seed check from a top micro-VC. You'll learn how to identify five specific customer types, how to conduct problem-validation interviews that serve as references, and how to present these in your pitch deck without feeling like you're faking it. The episode also covers the legal and ethical boundaries of using 'would-be' customers as references and how to avoid common pitfalls. If you're an idea-stage founder who's worried your lack of customers will kill your raise, this episode gives you a repeatable system to close that gap. #PreSeedFunding #CustomerReferences #StartupAdvice #IdeaStage #FounderTips #PitchDeck #VentureCapital #MicroVC #Business #Entrepreneurship #Validation #JennaRuiz #Cofounder #Sales #CustomerDevelopment #Fundraising #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo