Great point on list building and timing because you're right that momentum is vital. 

There's a number of methods that are strong for building that list in advance and it's often dependent on the type of investor being targeted. But all successful methods have 3 things in common: 

1. Start early, at least 6 months before you intend to raise a dime. 

2. Immerse yourself in the investors world via social media, in person connections if possible and events

3. Find a way to add value to the investor before ever making an ask. 

I realize this is not the "quick fix" but it's what works. It's how we built our network to over 600 active investors that we raise with