Last week at TechCrunch Disrupt (recaps coming soon), I spent less time than usual in the green room where staff and speakers work behind the scenes, and spent hours walking around Moscone Center. More than 10,000 people passed through the conference hall over three days: I moderated three investor panels and a Q&A, but I must have spoken with at least 30 early-stage founders. The hard part is crafting a story about your startup that’s so convincing, they’ll recognize the value in your idea and wire you some cash.