From a TechCrunch founder and award-winning strategist comes the most comprehensive guide to the newest fundraising options for today’s entrepreneurs.

Fundraising for startups has changed dramatically in the past decade. There was a time when VCs were rock stars and a founder with a big idea and a little drive could raise a few hundred thousand dollars to build a business. But those days are gone. In the aftermath of the Great Recession and a massive drop in tech investments, it’s become harder and harder for founders to raise money. The good news? Today’s entrepreneurs have more options than ever before—with greater opportunities to get the ball rolling, get investors excited, and Get Funded!

A comprehensive, cutting-edge guide from tech journalist and entrepreneur John Biggs and communication strategist Eric Villines, Get Funded! will enable you to:

• Create a solid business plan and a powerful story that investors respond to



• Explore a wide range of funding options—and find the ones that are right for you



• Understand valuation and dilution



• Plan, prepare, and deliver the perfect pitch



• Raise money through grants, micro-loans, micro-donations, and crowdfunding



• Take advantage of the latest online resources and financial tools

Filled with step-by-step strategies, ready-to-use resources, and on-the-ground insights, this is a must-read for every entrepreneur. Even if you’ve started a business before, you’ll discover a whole new funding landscape with exciting tech-driven models―including crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and Patreon, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, IEOs (Initial Exchange Offerings), micro-loans, and micro-donations―as well as more traditional, tried-and-true methods. Beyond a road map to the current world of funding, Get Funded! provides proven strategies for pitching, marketing, bootstrapping, and more. It’s a complete 360-degree tool with easy-to-follow worksheets and online resources that will help you build a sustainable funding strategy that’s right for your business—and crucial to your success.

Whether you’re starting a food truck or a biotech startup, Get Funded! has got you covered.

Serverless computing is radically changing the way we build and deploy applications. With cloud providers running servers and managing machine resources, companies now can focus solely on the application’s business logic and functionality. This hands-on book shows experienced programmers how to build and deploy scalable machine learning and deep learning models using serverless architectures with Microsoft Azure.

You’ll learn step-by-step how to code machine learning into your projects using Python and pretrained models that include tools such as image recognition, speech recognition, and classification. You’ll also examine issues around deployment and continuous delivery, including scaling, security, and monitoring.

This book is divided into three parts with application examples woven throughout:

• Cloud-based development: Learn the basics of serverless computing with machine learning, Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS), and the use of APIs
• Adding intelligence: Create serverless applications using Azure Functions; learn how to use prebuilt machine learning and deep learning models
• Deployment and continuous delivery: Get up to speed with Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Security Center, and Azure Monitoring

* These stories are as exciting, if even more exciting, than even the most fast-paced movie adventure. Hackers strike quickly and with disastrous results. The story and post-mortems are fascinating

* Homes are becoming increasingly wired and, thanks to Wi-Fi, unwired. What are the associated risks of fast Internet?

* Technology is everywhere. People who subvert and damage technology will soon by enemy #1.

* The author is an internationally recognized authority on computer security