Accepted into Y Combinator in December 2019, the team behind Airbyte strategically planned their pre-seed round to commence in January 2020, balancing incorporation timing to avoid 2019 taxes. They utilized networking skills, tapping into communities like the "French mafia" and the "LiveRamp mafia," to build potential investor lists swiftly. Employing tactics such as creating urgency by time-boxing the funding round and leveraging FOMO (fear of missing out), they persuaded investors to commit quickly. They also adjusted their valuation to appear fair, fostering trust and early investment. Their approach resulted in an oversubscribed round within two weeks, prioritizing the inclusion of desired investors and highlighting the importance of the team over the specific project pitched, which evolved into what Airbyte is today.