Value-Add Lead Conversion

Justin Kan shares how Atrium, his legal services company, used value-add services to generate leads and convert them into paying clients.

Initial Lead Generation Strategy

• Posted on YC internal forum offering free pitch feedback
• Leveraged personal experience ($80M raised) to provide value
• Exchanged pitch feedback for customer development conversations
• First success: MessageBird
  • Helped improve pitch narrative
  • Company raised $60M two weeks later
  • Converted to Atrium client after funding

Scaling the Strategy: Atrium Scale

• Formalized the process into "Atrium Scale" bootcamp
• Runs every couple months
• Free program helping founders with:
  • Fundraising strategy
  • Pitch improvement
  • General fundraising guidance

Results

• 60+ founders through bootcamp in 6 months
• 25% success rate for Series A/B raises
• Effective lead generation tool for legal services
• Created natural conversion path to paid services

Why It Worked

• Provided genuine value before asking for business
• Leveraged existing expertise in fundraising
• Created systematic approach to scale personal advice
• Built trust through helping first, selling second
• Used success stories to validate the approach

Key Learning

• Free value-add services can be systematized
• Focus on solving real problems first
• Convert to paid services after demonstrating value
• Build trust through actual results