It's important to take a medium to long-term view of your startup to understand when and how much money you'll need.

By setting clear milestones you'll keep the team focused on key achievement and get early validation from investors on what you need to accomplish for them to invest in you.

Use the "proof points" as topics to discuss with potential investors: "If we can achieve these proof points, will you invest in us?". Based on their feedback, you can adjust your proof points.