There are some good responses here. Try not to take money yet. It's subjective. Make sure you are taking money from someone committed to your space.

But, at the end of the day, if you plan to raise capital and you've already got people willing to bet on you, then take the money. Any amount.

Newer founders very often get hung up on valuations and dreamy future exits in the billions. If you secured $50-100k now, demonstrated traction, and then either raised a later seed/small series A, then you're on your way. Or, even better, you get acquired at around $2M. It's not newsworthy, but you just pulled a 20X+ return, proved you're a worthy founder, and can move on to the next startup idea.

The big takeaway: don't get hung up on value at this point.

Second takeaway: take your emotions out of it (and any big $$ fantasies). Find what makes good business sense and take a shot.

I've raised money from family, angels, VC's, you name it. I've been through acquisitions (and the *many* talks that didn't end up in acquisitions). And I'm an investor - so I see it from both sides. If you want to jump on a call and talk it through, just let me know.